Improved management actions are needed to protect...
​Native Wildlife

Elk, mule deer, pronghorn, sage-grouse, bighorn sheep, lizards, and suites of other native wildlife rely on our public rangelands to survive. The well-being of these wildlife, including threatened and endangered species, are put at risk by the growing populations of horses and burros.

Compete for Food and Water

Horses and burros must share resources with our native wildlife. As horse and burro populations continue to increase, they consume more and more of these scarce resources needed by wildlife. This not only causes competition between native wildlife and non-native horses and burros, but also between horse and burro populations that have far exceeded appropriate management levels.

Avoidance Behavior

Horses and burros can interact directly with native wildlife, and often interactions are not friendly. The dominance of horses in size often causes native wildlife to avoid the areas in which they are present. This has been well documented in resource-rich areas such as waterholes.

Impact Habitat

Habitat conditions can be greatly impacted by horses and burros. These animals' grazing behavior, unique among ungulates, reduces vegetation cover and spreads invasive plants, causing a decrease in the quality of habitat for native wildlife species.
Picture
Effects on Native Wildlife Fact Sheet Download