Wild Horse Roundups in the Western U.S. Under Scrutiny

An advocacy group has drawn attention to several areas in the Western United States where federal wild horse roundups may take place this September. Thousands of wild horses and burros are being collected to manage herd sizes, as authorities believe the current numbers exceed what the environment can support.

Potential Roundup Sites

The American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC) outlined several tentative locations for these roundups:

• Nut Mountain HMA – September 1
• Bitner HMA – September 1
• Massacre Lakes – September 1
• Challis HMA – September 9
• Sand Wash Basin – September 17
• Fifteenmile – September 15
• Jackson Mountains HMA – September 20

AWHC emphasized the significance of September for monitoring the situation, ensuring accountability, and promoting humane strategies for managing wild horses and burros.

The federal plan includes roundups, emergency removals, and fertility-control operations across many Western states. For example, in Wyoming, an operation aims to remove around 286 animals from the Fifteenmile Herd Management Area beginning mid-September, according to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

Rationale Behind Roundups

The BLM states that the roundups aim to protect both wild horses and the public rangelands. Herds often lack predators and can double in size every four to five years, risking overuse of food and water resources and damaging the land.

Management strategies include maintaining herds at a level they believe the land can support, balancing with wildlife, livestock, and other uses. This includes removing animals and using fertility control in some areas.

Concerns Over Helicopter Roundups

Advocacy groups have criticized the use of helicopters in roundups, arguing they are harmful to the animals, as they may separate established family groups and cause stress or injury.

Return to Freedom describes helicopter roundups as risky, as horses often travel long distances over challenging terrain before being held in pens.

AWHC also notes that helicopters can stress and exhaust horses, leading to injuries or deaths. They advocate for fertility control as a less harmful alternative, noting that roundups can separate families, increase costs for taxpayers, and place animals in federal facilities.

Urgent Calls to End Helicopter Roundups

Colorado Governor Jared Polis and Representative Joe Neguse have called for a halt to helicopter roundups in their state. In a September 3 letter, they highlighted that around 800 horses had been captured in the Piceance-East Douglas area, with six reported deaths, and noted a planned reduction of over 60 percent for the Sand Wash Basin herd.

While acknowledging the need for herd size control, they labeled helicopter roundups as “inhumane and unnecessary,” citing risks like panic and severe injuries. They requested a postponement of future operations and urged a more comprehensive approach involving local input and humane alternatives to helicopters.

For further comments, Newsweek editors Alabama Jackson and Trevor Davies were contacted regarding this story.