Above: Chaos as two choppers push wild horses in an area hit 4 times in the last 7 years in the eastern zone of the Bald Mountain Mine expansion.
Claiming wild horses in the area will die this winter if left on the range, BLM hit Triple B (one of our last large herds) again. BLM has approved two new mining projects, new livestock fencing and a “green energy” transmission line in this one Herd Management Area (HMA) just this year. BLM did not mitigation of the loss of habitat to wild horses, not even one water improvement.
Our team member has been the only member of the public onsite as 297 (103 Stallions, 127 Mares, and 67 Foals) wild horses were captured in the first four days.
A bay stallion was put down because BLM said he had one eye. Roundups at triple B have historically demonstrated a high likelihood of both eye injuries happening during capture and a high number of “one eye blindness” as an official reason for killing a horse.
A wild horse jumps out of trap only to be caught up in the run happening at the exact same time as loading… and it appears the other horse also escaped and runs past as the group is pushed into the trap.
Our observer said wild horses were literally being pushed nearly in a “360” view by two helicopters. At times the choppers appear to be flying dangerously close and fast.
Our team has watched bands fracture, escapes and the hard work these stallions have done to reestablish small families… only to have them shattered at the next roundup. This operation is particularly painful for us to watch.
BLM is sending stallions and weaned foals (all the foals that come in to the trap except the smallest) to the off-limits to the public facility on Indian Lakes Rd. in Fallon, NV (Broken Arrow). Death rates at this facility from trap through the first 6 months average 1 in 9. After the Blue Wing roundup the rate rose to 13.8% in the first 6 weeks.
Mares are being sent to Palomino Valley Center north of Reno with only the smallest of foals that BLM feels are not “weanable” at trap.
Access to the temporary corrals (located on private property) is being facilitated at the ends of the day. BLM is not sorting young males from older (as we have seen at most recent operations) and putting them all in the same pen. We believe we have had a glimpse through the wind vents in the tarps of one of the the duns we knew from the range.
It is really hard to find the horses we know as no elevated area to see all the pens is being allowed. The only “high spot is far away and we can only see the “stud pen” side.
To date, our team represents the only public witnessing this roundup that never should have happened.
You can see the ongoing report HERE.
No matter how the political landscape may change, WHE is not taking our eyes off of our precious wild ones.
We have multiple lawsuits currently in the courts, won two precedent setting rulings this year to crack keeping herds protected on the range and will continue to expose the injustice.
But we need your help. None of our work is possible without your support and we must be ready for the battles ahead.
WHE has a 10K match challenge through Giving Tuesday, Dec. 3.
End of year funding is critical to keep our programs running and to expand our work to meet the challenges ahead.
We are sincerely grateful for your support.
Thank you for keeping WHE running for the wild.
There are several ways you can support WHE from gift shopping to stock donations. Learn more HERE.
Categories: Wild Horse Education
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