The Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM’S) summer roundup season began almost two months ago.
Government contracted helicopters have been descending on wild horses and burros in several Western states as the BLM moves forward with its plan to round up over 20,000 of America’s treasured wild horses and burros.
One of the herds targeted is Wyoming’s North Lander Complex wild horses where over 2,700 are scheduled to be permanently removed. To date, this is the largest roundup planned during fiscal year 2024 (FY24).
Sadly, that is just the beginning as thousands more of these iconic horses and burros also face inhumane and unnecessary helicopter roundups in Nevada, Utah, California, and Oregon.
Make no mistake: helicopter roundups many times leave wild horses and burros traumatized, injured and even dead.
Young foals become separated from their mothers as horses and burros are often run to exhaustion. Further injury and even death occur in the capture pens as well as the holding facilities the animals are transported to.
Wild horses and burro roundups occur in some of the most remote corners of the West, far from the public eye. Fortunately, there are organizations which can deploy individuals trained as photographers and videographers to document the truth of what goes on.
While there are successful public-private partnerships which help to ensure wild horses and burros remain safely on the range, many more are needed to ensure the herds remain on lands allocated to them by law (the 1971 Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act).