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THE BAJA POST
NEWSROOM
SOURCE: PR NEWSMEDIA
Return to Freedom Wild Horse Conservation today demanded that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) take swift action after an advocate captured video of a wrangler kicking an exhausted and downed wild horse during a helicopter roundup in Nevada.
The BLM must take immediate action:
- It should suspend the roundup taking place on the Blue Wing Complex Herd Management Areas, during which 39 wild horses or burros have been killed;
- Terminate contractor CD Warner Livestock LLC and prohibit this contractor from further involvement with wild equines;
- Continue the ongoing investigation into the incident, and impose significant consequences for the contractor; and
- Implement meaningful changes to improve how wild horses and burros are handled.
«In no world is it OK to run horses to the point where they are staggering around or kick them in the face when they’re down,» said Neda DeMayo, president of Return to Freedom (RTF), a national nonprofit wild horse and burro advocacy organization.
«These are our public lands and the BLM’s wild horse program is paid for by our tax dollars. The agency must adopt a culture that prioritizes the spirit of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act, which was passed to protect wild horses. We will not stand by and watch this level of cruelty, and we are prepared to take further action.»
The blatant abuse shown by the wrangler in the video is a major violation of the BLM’s Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program (CAWP). The humane handling protocol specifically prohibits «hitting, kicking, striking, or beating any (wild horse or burro) in an abusive manner.» Congress has repeatedly stated — including as recently as last week — that the BLM and its contractors must abide by the CAWP.
The BLM is allowed to capture and remove wild horses and burros from the range under the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act, as amended. However, the explicit purpose of the act is to protect America’s remaining wild horses «from capture, branding, harassment, or death.» Violations of the law carry a penalty of up to $2,000 and up to a year in prison.
In the advocate’s video, a wild horse, visibly exhausted after being chased by a helicopter in smoky conditions, is roped by a pair of the contractor’s wranglers on horseback. The wild horse slumps to the ground.
