People wouldn’t stop feeding wild horses in Nevada. Now they’re running to cars for food

Wild horses are showing “a not normal behavior” in Nevada, officials said.

Wild horses at Discovery Park in Pahrump approached cars as they drove into the area, the Bureau of Land Management said.

“This is not a normal behavior of a wild horse, but that of a habituated wild horse that has been fed by humans,” officials said April 14 on Facebook. “These wild horses are still dangerous and should not be approached.”

The behavior prompted a warning from the Bureau of Land Management. Wildlife officials don’t want people to approach the wild horses, even if they seem tame.

“They are not domesticated animals like those you see at riding stables and not tame,” officials said. “Wild horses and burros can cause serious injury, or death, to humans who get too close.”

Feeding wild horses and burros is illegal, wildlife officials said. It causes them to become habituated and expect that people will give them food.

The food can also cause “serious digestive issues” for the horses because they’re not used to eating it.

“Please enjoy viewing wild horses and burros from a significant distance,” wildlife officials said. “Human injuries are not uncommon. It is important to give the animals their space — especially during foaling season.”

Hundreds of wild horses roam southern Nevada, according to the Bureau of Land Management. As of March 1, 2021, the bureau estimated 736 wild horses and 95 wild burros lived in the area.

This story was originally published April 20, 2022 at 4:40 PM with the headline "People wouldn’t stop feeding wild horses in Nevada. Now they’re running to cars for food."