Jan. 7, 2024 Media Advisory
Video of Roundup Available
December 30, and 31st: Inhumane treatment
Foal killed in roping incident at federal wild horse roundup in Nevada
Death toll rises to 11 horses in 10 days
Reno, NV... On January 6th, 2024, American Wild Horse Campaign's humane observers recorded Bureau of Land Management (BLM) wranglers pursuing a young colt on horseback at the East Pershing Complex roundup. Wranglers roped the colt, causing him to flip over and fall. The colt bucks and falls multiple times after being roped. He begins to limp after one of the falls and appears to be unable to walk. Subsequently, the wranglers loaded the foal onto an ATV and euthanized him onsite.
According to the BLM's roundup reports, the foal was euthanized for a dislocated right front knee. The injury was recorded as "acute," by the BLM, meaning that it was sustained during the roundup. As of yesterday, 866 wild horses have been captured, and the death toll stands at 11.
The fatalities include:
- 6 horses "euthanized" due to suspected blindness in one eye.
- 1 seven-year-old stallion euthanized for a club foot.
- 1 seven-year-old stallion euthanized for a previously broken front leg.
- 3 horses euthanized for acute conditions.
- A 4-year-old mare with a broken neck.
- A 12-year-old mare with a broken leg.
- A foal roped, put on an ATV, and euthanized for a dislocated knee, marked as "acute," indicating a roundup-related injury.
On January 2, a BLM contractor herded too many horses into a trap, causing panic and attempts to escape, almost breaking through the panels. AWHC-released footage highlights the perilous and inhumane incident, and documents a helicopter flying dangerously close to a horse's head and unnecessary agitation by contractor staff post-capture.
"The recent death of a young wild horse during a Bureau of Land Management roundup is a heartbreaking example of the inhumane treatment these majestic creatures endure. The footage captured by AWHC’s observers exposes distressing practices," said Suzanne Roy, AWHC's executive director. "We reaffirm our demand for immediate accountability and a reevaluation of the BLM's approach to wild horse management. We mourn the 11 lives lost and urgently call for transparency and reform in the treatment of America's wild herds."
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Jan. 2, 2024 Media Advisory
Footage Shows Wild Horse Abuse During Federal Roundup
Horses packed into trap, leading to desperate escape attempts and trampling of foal, contractors agitating horses, and helicopters narrowly avoid hitting them
- Sampson Livestock is the contractor conducting the East Pershing Complex wild horse roundup. This is not the first time the American Wild Horse Campaign has raised significant concerns about the treatment of wild horses during these capture operations.
- In August of 2022, Sampson Livestock contractors ran so many horses into a trap that the metal walls collapsed, leading to the death of at least one horse and endangering the contractors’ onsite staff.
- “This shocking display of cruelty is a continuation of the very abuses that gave rise to the original 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act. These practices should be relegated to the past where they belong and should be replaced by modern, humane conservation practices that keep wild horses wild,” said Suzanne Roy, executive director of the American Wild Horse Campaign
- The continued abuse comes as the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) plans to roundup nearly 21,000 wild animals and permanently remove close to 20,000, adding them to an overburdened confinement system
B-roll and spokesperson available for interview upon request
