WILD HORSES LOOKING FOR HOMES; 100 MUSTANGS WILL BE AVAILABLE AT ILLINOIS AUCTION

GOREVILLE, Ill. -- About 100 wild horses will change owners here later this month.

"We'll put 100 young, wild mustangs up for adoption," said Jim Boylan, public affairs officer with the U.S. Department of the Interior. "We've had good success adopting these mustangs at Goreville."

The adoption event will be held at the Goreville Livestock Auction facility Feb. 28 and 29 and March 1.

"In past years we have had people from Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee at the Goreville adoption proceedings," said Boylan. "During the 1998 event, 70 horses were adopted on opening day."

To qualify for adoption of up to four animals, applicants must have a sturdy corral with fencing at least five feet high, shelter, transportation, a means of caring for the animals and $125.

The adoption fee of $125 per animal helps defray the cost of the roundup, veterinary care and transportation, said Boylan.

The horses will be trucked to Goreville from western range lands, where they were rounded up.

"People who adopt them have to promise to give good homes to the mustangs," said Boylan. "The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) of Milwaukee, Wis., will halter and help load the animals for adopting persons."

BLM officials will also provide information on health care, feeding and training of the wild animals.

The adoption program was initiated in 1973 to help the problem of overpopulation among wild horses on public range lands. Since the program was started, more than 130,000 animals have been adopted by more than 53,000 people in the U.S. More than 1,000 animals have been adopted by residents of Illinois.

"Adopters are always needed to help us solve the mustang overcrowding problems," said Boylan. "Right now we're looking for people who would like to take this opportunity to get involved in this program."

The adoption activity at Goreville is not limited to Illinoisans; people are expected there from Missouri, Kentucky, Indiana and Tennessee, said Boylan.

Herds of wild horses have increased in western lands over the past couple of decades, he said. "During the mid-1970s, census surveys revealed about 20,000 mustangs, but now we're seeing more than 30,000 of the animals."

The horses are permitted to roam and are left to fend for themselves in areas of Nevada, Wyoming, California and Oregon.

The populations grow so fast that thousands of horses must be removed each year to prevent harm to the range and to the herds.

Until 1986, people had to drive long distances to adopt wild horses.

The BLM has some permanent adoption centers where horses may be adopted year-round. The closest permanent site is at Cross Plains, Tenn.

"We set up our first adoption center in Illinois in 1986 at Danville," said Boylan. "At that time we had 150 wild horses and all of them were adopted."

The first adoption event at Goreville was in 1988, when 100 horse were adopted.