A tentative roundup schedule for May through October was released by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). It shows that 6,660 wild horses and burros would be captured and removed from their home ranges with only 205 treated with fertility control. This plan clearly indicates there is no real commitment by the BLM to implement humane fertility control immediately in spite of demands from both Congress and the public.
For decades, the BLM has failed to increase the use of existing safe, proven and humane fertility control. Delaying the use of humane population control methods only continues the inhumane and expensive capture and removal practices. Due to increasing taxpayer costs and rising wild horse and burro numbers in government holding facilities, the current administration and Congress have moved closer to allowing the BLM to sell wild horses without restriction (translated as to slaughter) or to “euthanize” them.
It is critical that wild horse advocates and supporters continue to present viable non-lethal solutions to manage federally protected wild horse and burro herds on taxpayer-funded public lands in the West.
For FY2020, Congress did approve $21M for the BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro program with funds designated to use for non-lethal population control, including funds specific to fertility control. Lawmakers would not release the additional funds until the BLM provided a wild horse management report (which was submitted May 8).
On the range, fertility control is vital to help stop unnecessary and cruel roundups.
Contact your Senators (www.senate.gov) to urge them to hold the BLM accountable for spending funds to keep wild horses and burros protected on the range and humanely managed with existing, safe, humane and proven population control methods (not invasive ones like surgeries or castrations or capture and sell-off without limitations).