Horses trapped in muddy northern Arizona pond buried on site
This Thursday, May 3, 2018 photo shows dozens of horse carcasses lying in a dry watering hole now surrounded by a barbed wire fence near Cameron, Ariz. A couple of miles off the highway through northern Arizona is one of the most stark examples of the toll drought has taken on the region: more than 100 dead horses surrounding by cracked dirt, swirling dust and a ribbon of water that couldn't quench their thirst. Officials on the Navajo Nation are working to cover the site with lime to help the animals decompose and keep away scavengers. (AP Photo/Felicia Fonseca)
CAMERON, Ariz. (AP) — More than 100 horses found dead this week at a muddy watering hole in northern Arizona are being buried at the site.
The stock pond in the Navajo Nation community of Gray Mountain had been a reliable source of water for animals over the years.
But as drought worsened, it began drying up earlier and earlier, and trapped the animals.
Tribal officials say they counted at least 118 dead horses and two cows this week.
They were able to save a weeks-old foal they named Grace.
A barbed wire fence now surrounds the watering hole to keep out large animals. Workers have applied hydrated lime to the site to help decompose the horses and ward off scavengers.
Friday's work is focused on collapsing an earthen berm and burying the animals.
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