Donations will help feed horses at Red Rock

Monday, July 15, 2002 | 8:54 a.m.

Friends of Red Rock Canyon is donating $1,000 to help feed the canyon's starving wild horses.

Friends volunteers are also stepping forward to help feed the animals, Friends Board President Chuck Williams said.

Of the canyon's 47 remaining wild horses, 39 have been rounded up by the Bureau of Land Management in an emergency effort to save the animals. They are being held at the BLM's Oliver Ranch at Red Rock until range and water conditions can be improved.

Months of drought conditions have diminished range grasses and dried up all of the horses' natural watering holes in the canyon.

"The BLM has told us that they'll need about $2,000 per month to feed the horses and nurse them back to health," Williams said. "Although Friends of Red Rock is a small, nonprofit organization with limited resources, our board felt very strongly that these horses must be saved."

Friends has a collection box at the Red Rock Visitors Center and through July 31 all proceeds will be donated to the wild horse rescue effort.

Other organizations contributing to the effort so far include the Red Rock Canyon Interpretive Association and the National Wild Horse Association.

Anyone interested in volunteering may contact Friends of Red Rock Canyon at 255-8743. Tax-deductible financial contributions may be sent to the National Wild Horse Association, P.O. Box 12207 Las Vegas, NV 89112.