The Antelope Complex roundup has (finally) come to a close as Hurricane Hilary brings rain and high winds. (Daily report archive)
For the first time a removal at the Complex was split into two simultaneous crews: North and South. The South crew hit Antelope and part of the Antelope Valley Herd Management Areas (HMA)s and the North crew hit Antelope Valley (west of Alt. U.S. Hwy 93), Goshute and Spruce Pequop HMAs.
The total captured was 3,078 wild horses, 39 died onsite; 10 died at south, 29 at north. The majority of catastrophic deaths (broken legs and necks, dehydration and colic) coincided with the heat index rise. The 2021 roundup in Antelope removed 2,203 wild horses and was a one crew operation, just as all the previous removals in this complex. The 2022 Triple B roundup captured 1,897 and killed 23 onsite. BLM hits the area under this 2017 Gather-EA every year.
In 2023, it appears that politics helped get 2 crews out here to decimate this herd during the very worst time of year. Nearly half of the targeted removal numbers of entire summer (began July 1) roundup schedule were at the 42 day Antelope Complex roundup.
Video below: Loading to go to Broken Arrow (Indian Lakes) of wild horses captured in a trap completely obscured, was obscured by trailers. 2 were left as the semi rolled away into the black-hole of holding. The 2 were loaded onto a trailer and, apparently, killed.
No one told our onsite observer that the horses had been shot and left at holding for burial, they just accelerated past her vehicle in the observation spot.
BLM claims the 4-year old “bay” was blind in one eye and the Sorrel was 20+ years and had “no teeth.” Do you think if we were given a chance to find them sanctuary we could have?
BLM offers groups in smaller HMAs in other states that kind of opportunity. For those of us that track these big herds, we can’t even get a straight answer to basic questions (more on that soon).
It should be noted that the numbers that died at Antelope, per capture numbers, are the highest since BLM implemented their internal welfare standard (that they failed to review and make enforceable rules). At Rock Springs (WY) BLM does less frequent, but larger removals, BLM captured 4,161 and killed 37. Antelope captured nearly a thousand less, but killed more.
The south crew shipped 1,095 wild horses to Palomino Valley Center (PVC) north of Reno.
The north crew shipped 1,936 wild horses to the off-limits to the public facility Broken Arrow (aka Indian Lakes) in Fallon. Not only have these wild horses gone without any public viewing through 2 intense record-breaking heatwaves, they are now in the path of flooding brought on by Hurricane Hilary.
This week, our team is filing additional documents in our ongoing lawsuit to gain transparency, gain an enforceable welfare standard and to stop the madness created by this monstrously large 2017 Gather-EA: the largest in the nation that covers square acreage larger than Rhode Island and Connecticut combined and has already removed 10,000 wild horses. That paperwork continues to approve roundups through 2026.
Our team is working on the “roundup in review” and taking actions to open Broken Arrow so that we can check on the welfare of those wild horses.
We have been doing range runs to check on the horses remaining in the complex and will publish after the last panel is removed from this area.
More soon.
You can show your support and help us keep our team in the field through the purchase of a “Stop Abuse” t-shirt. We have brought these shirts back for the next 2 weeks by request. Click HERE or on the image below.
Our wild ones should live free on the range with the families they hold dear. Our wild ones should also live without abuse.
Thank you for keeping us in the fight!
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Categories: Lead, Wild Horse Education
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