Antelope following wild horses in search for water after the BLM changed the designation on wells, without public disclosure, and water in the area shut off for wild things, on for domestic livestock use only.  Wells and troughs were once spring sources destroyed by private profiteers and then turned into pipelines to feed mining and livestock, leaving all of our wild things dependent on the troughs.

(Reno, NV) Wild Horse Education has joined over 100 organizations to urge Congress to address the wildlife trade and habitat destruction.(you can read the letter HERE)

From the letter: The current pandemic is not only a public health and economic crisis but a conservation crisis as well. It is a sobering demonstration of the consequences of the natural world unraveling. We hope that Congress invests what is needed to help combat this pandemic and reflect on the lessons learned to help avert future catastrophes. 

“What we do to the planet, and all of her inhabitants, effects every single one of us. In the US we like to point fingers at other nations and ignore the rampant destruction of our own wild places and wild things.” said Laura Leigh, founder of Wild Horse Education. “It is more than past time that we take responsibility for protecting our wild places and stop encouraging things like the wildlife trade. Today, with the global threat of COVID-19, it should be painfully obvious to all Americans that the web of the natural world encases us all. As a nation we have failed to step up to the plate and address the climate crisis. We need to step up to the plate and take action, now.”

From an Oped by Tanya Sanerib, international program legal director at the Center for Biological Diversity: We are one of the world’s top importers of wildlife, consuming an estimated 20 percent of the global wildlife market. Pandemics have begun in our borders, like the 2003 monkeypox outbreak stemming from U.S. imports of small mammals that spread to pets, and we reported the first cases of swine flu — H1N1 — in 2009.

WHE is proud to stand with over 100 organizations in this effort as we request that 1% of the total funds in future stimulus packages address habitat loss, legal and illegal wildlife trade, and the protection of habitat, and biological diversity, here and around the world.

“If we are actually fighting pandemics, this one and the ones set to arrive in the future due to habitat loss and species destruction, just like with any disease we must go after the root source.” LLeigh, WHE.

Habitat destruction for industry is the greatest threat in the US to all of our wild, including wild horses.

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You can take action today against the amping up of destructive projects in the US, including increasing funding for scientifically unsound roundups of wild horses, HERE.

In addition: You can forward the letter from the group on the wildlife trade and habitat destruction to your reps and ask they listen the groups request. letter HERE. 

Find your reps here: Govtrack.us

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Can you help us stay in this fight? Our work to protect and preserve our wild horses, and the land they stand, must continue in these chaotic times. We need your support to remain vigilant in our work.