The federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) removed more than 1,000 wild horses from public lands in Colorado this summer. According to 9News, it was one of the largest helicopter roundups in the state’s history.
As 9News reports, the operation took place during a historic drought. Animal advocates have voiced concerns about the horses’ welfare. The agency’s daily reports show that nine horses died during or after the roundup.
The largest part of the operation took place in the Piceance-East Douglas area of northwestern Colorado, near Meeker and Rangely. According to the Colorado Sun, a Utah company holds a $679,249 contract with the BLM. The operation began Aug. 1 and involved capturing about 1,000 horses. The total cost of the summer operations in the state was estimated at about $900,000.
The BLM wants to reduce the number of horses in the Piceance Basin from 1,145 to no more than 235. Statewide, the plan calls for cutting the population from 1,727 to about 600 animals. Colorado has four federally protected herds: Piceance-East Douglas, Sand Wash Basin, Little Book Cliffs and Spring Creek Basin.
Wildlife photographer and wild horse advocate Scott Wilson has been documenting roundups since 2020. He points to costs that do not end once the animals are captured. Wilson and other activists fear that continued use of helicopters could, over time, push wild horses out of the landscape of the American West. According to CPR, most of the captured horses will be sent to long-term holding facilities, which some animal advocates compare to prisons.
Wilson’s work is on display at D’Art Gallery in Denver through Nov. 15.
Source: 9News
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