Animal activists question deaths of wild horses from controversial Nevada roundup

RENO — Activists in Nevada are questioning the rising death toll from a government roundup of wild horses from the range north of Reno.

U.S. Bureau of Land Management spokeswoman JoLynn Worley says 77 mustangs involved in the Calico Mountains Complex gather have died so far -- 70 at a Fallon facility where they were taken and the rest at the roundup site.

That's nearly double the 39 horses that had died when the roundup of 1,922 horses concluded on Feb. 5.

Horse advocates are pressing the government for measures to deal with the situation.

Worley attributes the deaths mostly to the poor condition of mares that were sent to Fallon, where the animals are being prepared for adoption or transfer to pastures in the Midwest.

-- Associated Press

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Photo: Wild horses graze in Nevada in 2009. Credit: Brian Vander Brug / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[evon Galla]

why does the government think they have to screw with everything . . why can't they leave things alone that belong here. the horses as been around in the wild . longer than the people have .

[syscom3]

Maybe the activists can calculate the improvement in native species that are no longer being displaced by these unwanted and useless horses.

[Rossi]

Unfortunately, SYSCOM3, activist cannot calculate the difference of the affect on native species, 1) because they've removed horses, an indigenous species...equines were native to North America 7,500 years ago....and 2) they've been replaced with non-indigenous cattle....and 3) May I ask if you are indigenous to North America? One thing for sure....wildlife would be much better off without all of us non-indigenous humans as an invasive species.

[Cindy]

There is plenty of evidence (videos and photos) that wild horses captive at Fallon were in great shape in the wild. The sudden shift to alfafa feed has contributed to the numerous colic related deaths. These horses lived in the Calico mountains and should have been left there. I just don't understand why they are being eradicated from our land. The proportion of the number of horses compared to other wildlife and compared to cattle is around 3% or 4%. It's just ridiculous.

[Christine W.]

The beef lobby has all the power. The ultra low cost use of BLM land is the government welfare program that these ranchers thrive on for their cattle to graze. They will not rest until the last mustangs have been hauled to the slaughter houses in Canada and Mexico.

[Parry]

Powerful special interests (livestock ranchers and oil/gas) are to blame for putting in the fix with the BLM. They want to put the Ruby Pipeline (a natural gas pipeline) through the Calico complex and cattle ranchers want more and more cheap public land to use for grazing. The poor wild horses don't pay. The others do. Smells to high heaven.....

[Rcatheron]

syscom3, these horses are indeed native, since before the Ice Age. The only other indigenous animal that I know of is the pronghorn. Horses useless? Millions would disagree. They've served humans well throughout history. They have carried us into battle, plowed our fields, pulled our covered wagons, the list goes on. This is all about the wealthy cattle rancher taking over the public lands that were granted to the horses by Congress. Do your research.