The National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board just recommended euthanizing the nearly 45,000 wild horses and burros currently maintained in captivity by the BLM. This would be a horrific wholesale slaughter of an American icon, and an injustice to America's long history of horsemanship and love of animals. The BLM should pursue fertility control options on the range and take aggressive steps to promote adoption of horses currently in captivity, in addition to addressing the way the Appropriate Management Level is calculated. Cows shouldn't trump horses on the range!
Photo: Bureau of Land Management, Idaho.
Wild horses and burros are as American as apple pie. These equines have been roaming the West for centuries, adding to the distinctive and indelible character of the region. The Bureau of Land Management is responsible for looking after the welfare of these majestic animals, but in recent years, the agency's concerns appear to be more for corporate agriculture than they are for America's heritage. The news that the agency thinks it advisable to slaughter 45,000 of them is crushing evidence of the mustang's plight in American society.
The BLM must immediately announce that it has no intention of slaughtering tens of thousands of innocent animals, and develop a clear plan for tackling concerns about population. This should include recalculating the Appropriate Management Level, rolling back grazing leases to make more room for horses, deploying fertility control tactics, and aggressively promoting adoption of wild horses and burros in captivity.
This is an issue of both animal welfare and national heritage. Killing the captive horse and burro herd would be a terrible precedent.
