We set an ambitious $100,000 Giving Tuesday goal in order to raise the funds we need to continue our critical work in 2024. Well, thanks to the generosity of one of our major donors, every single donation towards our goal will be matched, bringing our total Giving Tuesday impact to $200,000.
The thing is this 2X match will only unlock once we raise an initial $35,000. This will show that we have the support to hit our Giving Tuesday goal. This is a huge opportunity we cannot let go to waste.
We can’t stress how impactful this match would be for us. Giving Tuesday is our most important fundraising drive of the year, and with this 2X offer from our generous donor, we have an incredible opportunity to significantly bolster our efforts to protect our wild herds in 2024.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is planning to round upthousands more wild horses and burros this fiscal year. That means thousands more of these innocent animals are in danger of losing their freedom, their families, and even their lives.
Our Giving Tuesday fundraising will be critical to helping us fight back for our wild horses and burros – from fueling our expanding fertility control programs, to supporting our rescue efforts, to powering our Legal Fund as we battle the BLM in the courts. And your support could help DOUBLE the impact of all these different efforts.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recently concluded the Robert’s Mountain Complex wild horse roundup in Nevada. The American Wild Horse Campaign (AWHC) deployed humane observers to bear witness to and document every single day of this heartbreaking operation, reporting back what would otherwise go unseen.
Meredith, this roundup was a hard one to witness. In a little over two weeks, 858 wild horses were captured, and 10 horses were left dead.
Tragically, a wild stallion, in a desperate attempt to reclaim his freedom, vaulted from the trap, only to become ensnared in the fence panels and suffer a broken leg. Although he achieved a fleeting moment of freedom, the cost was his very existence; after being recaptured, and to due his severe injury, he was euthanized.
Photo by Nenah DeMunster for AWHC
Just one day later, a semi-truck carrying 39 recently captured wild horses from the roundup flipped onto its side while transporting the horses to a holding facility. As a result, seven horses died, three in the accident and four more were euthanized due to their injuries.
Our photos and footage from the Robert’s Mountain roundup have been seen by more than 400,000 people on social media and we worked to get a piece in the Las Vegas Sun exposing what was happening to these wild horses during this operation.
Photo by Nenah DeMunster for AWHC
We also mobilized advocates to take action, including calling for cameras on helicopters and all wranglers. This resulted in over 24,000 messages being sent to the BLM and Congress calling for transparency and accountability.
Every step of the way, the American Wild Horse campaign is working to hold the BLM accountable for its treatment of wild horses and burros during these roundups.
Did you see our email? Thanks to a generous donor, we have the opportunity for your donation towards our Giving Tuesday goal to be doubled, bringing our total Giving Tuesday impact to $200,000! Since we sent this email, we’ve seen an outpouring of support from donors like you, but we still really need your help to unlock this matching opportunity.
Giving Tuesday is just three weeks away and we have set an ambitious goal to raise $100,000 to continue fueling AWHC’s critical work. But today, we are excited to announce that a generous donor has offered to match every single Giving Tuesday donation, bringing our total impact to $200,000! But we can’t do it without you. Can you add your donation right away? >>
Giving Tuesday is our most critical fundraising day of the year. With this generous matching opportunity, we have the chance to double our impact so we can keep up our work in the field, on the courts, and in Congress in 2024.
But here’s the thing. This matching opportunity will only be unlocked once we raise $35,000 towards our goal ahead of Giving Tuesday.
Thanks to ongoing federal mismanagement, wild horses and burros face terrifying roundups, life in captivity, and the threat of entering the slaughter pipeline. The reality is the system is broken and right now our work is more important than ever. Our team has exposed these cruelties, and every single day we work to hold the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) accountable and fight to keep wild horses and burros wild.
But we need to act now.
Unlocking this 2X match would be a huge boost for the work we can do in 2024, and it could double your impact for wild horses. This generous donor has stepped up for Giving Tuesday, and now we’re asking you to do the same.
Giving Tuesday is just three weeks away and we have set an ambitious goal to raise $100,000 to continue fueling AWHC’s critical work. But today, we are excited to announce that a generous donor has offered to match every single Giving Tuesday donation, bringing our total impact to $200,000! But we can’t do it without you. Can you add your donation right away? >>
Giving Tuesday is our most critical fundraising day of the year. With this generous matching opportunity, we have the chance to double our impact so we can keep up our work in the field, on the courts, and in Congress in 2024.
But here’s the thing. This matching opportunity will only be unlocked once we raise $35,000 towards our goal ahead of Giving Tuesday.
Thanks to ongoing federal mismanagement, wild horses and burros face terrifying roundups, life in captivity, and the threat of entering the slaughter pipeline. The reality is the system is broken and right now our work is more important than ever. Our team has exposed these cruelties, and every single day we work to hold the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) accountable and fight to keep wild horses and burros wild.
But we need to act now.
Unlocking this 2X match would be a huge boost for the work we can do in 2024, and it could double your impact for wild horses. This generous donor has stepped up for Giving Tuesday, and now we’re asking you to do the same.
Thanks to the dedication and generosity of supporters like you, our team at AWHC has been able to run a game-changing fertility control program on Nevada’s Virginia Range for the past four years. Today, we’d like to tell you the story of one of the many wild mustangs who have benefited from the program, a beautiful pinto mare named Saddle Shoe.
Photo by Deb Sutherland
Saddle Shoe was born in 2012 to the Canyon Phantom, a striking and well-known black and white stallion. Her mother was a stunning buckskin mare named Broken Hinds. In 2015, Saddle Shoe found love with the beautiful dark bay stallion, Two Socks, and the pair started a family, welcoming foals Natalie, Jasleen, and Adelaide to their herd over the next few years.
Photo by Deb Sutherland
On Nevada’s Virginia Range, where Saddle Shoe and her family reside, AWHC operates the world’s largest humane management program for wild horses, proving to the world there’s no need for mass roundups, crowded holding corrals, dangerous and permanent sterilization, or slaughter.
Saddle Shoe is now 11 years old and likely will not have any more foals. Thanks to our PZP program, she gets to live her life as a wild horse should – wild and free – and her bond with Two Socks (now one of the oldest stallions on the range!) has remained unbreakable.
Photo by Deb Sutherland
Unlike most wild horses in the Western United States, who live on federal public lands, Saddle Shoe’s herd resides on the outskirts of metropolitan Reno, Nevada, where urbanization has gradually chipped away at their habitat. It’s essential that their populations remain a healthy and manageable size so that the Nevada Department of Agriculture, the entity charged with their management, does not roundup and remove them. Without federal protections, these beloved horses have no protection from slaughter, and if removed, could be sent directly to auction.
Nevada’s Virginia Range horses played a crucial role in the defense of wild horses when Velma “Wild Horse Annie” Johnston campaigned for their protection in the 50s and 60s, which resulted in the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burros Act. Despite their historical significance, however, this legislation did not include protection for this beloved herd.
It’s hard to believe, but Giving Tuesday is just one month away.
If you don’t know, Giving Tuesday is our most critical fundraising day of the entire year – it’s a day where people come together and give back to their communities. We’re counting on our herd of supporters to join together and help us protect our beloved wild horses and burros.
The truth is, we are at the precipice of change. We have the team in place to create a lasting impact for wild horses and burros and we have you, our base, as the driving force behind our work. We have lofty goals for 2024 and we are counting on you to help make them a reality. That’s why we set our $30,000 goal, and why we’re asking you to chip in to help us hit it. >>
There’s so much at stake. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is continuing its wild horse and burro roundup and stockpile system, and it is planning on rounding up even more horses and burros in Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 than it did in FY2023.
In less than one month, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is planning to conduct a pointless and cruel bait trap removal of approximately 41 wild horses from the famed McCullough Peaks wild horse herd outside of Cody, Wyoming.
Beloved horses like Badger, Moki and the newest addition to the range, Thora – are at risk of losing their freedom and their families forever.
Thora with her mom and aunt. Photo by Sandy Sisti of Wild at Heart Images.
Let us be clear: The McCullough Peaks roundup is unnecessary. Not only does this herd already have a humane fertility control program in place, but it also has a significant aging population in which 60 of the 187 wild horses are over the age of 15! Furthermore, the extreme winter conditions last year resulted in the deaths of 11 of these beautiful animals, and we know it will take more this year.
The nation’s leading equine geneticist, Gus Cothran, has clearly stated that wild horse populations should not fall below 150 animals in order to maintain genetic diversity. This removal could ultimately lead to the destruction of this small herd.
But we’re fighting back. We’re going to amplify our collective voice to ensure it cannot be ignored.
In the coming days, AWHC will unleash an 8-week nationwide pressure advertising campaign to rally the public to save the historic McCullough Peaks herd. We will reach out to the media, set up billboards in strategic locations, launch ads on streaming services nationwide and leverage social media. Additionally, we will produce informational content that enlightens the public about the pointless and cruel nature of the McCullough Peaks roundup.
Time to act is of the essence, so please – stay active and stay ready so that we can ensure the McCullough Peaks wild horses stay wild.
Here at the American Wild Horse Campaign, we’re committed to reforming the federal government’s cruel and costly wild horse and burro roundup program and to ensuring wild horses and burros roam the American West for generations to come.
One of the driving factors behind helicopter roundups is that wild horses and burros are often scapegoated for the issues facing the western landscape. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and other federal agencies often use these outdated misconceptions about these animals to justify the current roundup, removal and stockpile cycle.
Even worse, industries that support the roundup of wild horses and burros, like ranchers and other commercial interests, push these false narratives in order to free up more of our public lands for extractive purposes.
That’s why combatting the myths that blame wild horses and burros is critical to our work. To that end, we’ve put together a list of answers to frequently asked questions that advocates often get so that you can be ready to push back against false narratives plaguing our wild herds!
Are wild horses and burros overpopulated?
NO! Wild horses and burros are not overpopulated. In reality, the only animals truly overtaking the West are the privately owned cattle and sheep permitted to overgraze our public lands. Wild horses are present on just 27 million acres of BLM land in the West, while ranchers have access to livestock grazing on over 155 million acres. Not only that, but 88% of the public lands that the BLM manages have no wild horses or burros present.
Are wild horses and burros responsible for overgrazing on public lands?
NO! The main cause of land degradation in the American West is livestock grazing. A recent study by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) found that not only do livestock outnumber wild horses and burros on public lands by more than 125:1, but livestock grazing is the reason why 72% of rangelands did not meet the required Land Health Standards. Further, a congressionally mandated study by the National Academy of Sciences found that, in one year, livestock consumed 70% of grazing resources on public lands, while wild horses and burros consumed less than 5%.
Are wild horses native?
Wild horses are a native re-introduced species. According to research out of the University of California Santa Cruz’s prestigious Paleogenomics Lab, fossil records and genetic results confirm that horses were part of the North American fauna for hundreds of thousands of years prior to their extinction on the continent around eleven thousand years ago. The genetic connection between extinct North American and present-day domestic horses means that the wild horses in the American West share much of their DNA and evolutionary history with their ancestors.
Why do roundups happen?
Roundups are a symptom of the federal government’s failure to humanely manage our nation’s wild horses and burros and its decision to maintain wild populations at low levels in order to allocate most of the resources on their habitat to commercial livestock.
Why do wild horses and burros have to be managed at all?
They live on land that is shared by multiple interests, including livestock grazing and other extractive uses. Often, natural predators like mountain lions are eradicated by hunters and a government program that kills predators for the benefit of ranchers. Under these man-made and artificial conditions, some form of management is necessary. With that being said, the BLM’s roundup and removal approach is not only inhumane, but also completely unsustainable and has brought the program to the brink of fiscal collapse.
Do wild horses and burros end up in the slaughter pipeline?
Yes. While the agency cannot sell wild horses or burros directly to slaughter auctions, countless wild horses and burros are being funneled into the slaughter pipeline thanks to the BLM’s disastrous Adoption Incentive Program (AIP).
Why don’t you sue to stop roundups?
We do! While we would like to be able to go to court to stop every roundup, litigation is far from certain. Many factors need to be considered with each new case we bring. If we rush into litigation without a strong foundation for our case and lose, we could end up setting a negative precedent that harms wild horses and burros for generations to come. That’s why we choose our battles wisely to ensure the best possible outcome for our wild herds. It’s important to note that we evaluate every roundup proposal during the public comment period for litigation, before a helicopter ever takes off. If we are able to sue, we do.
It’s vital that we fight back against the false narratives being pushed by the livestock industry and the federal government. Please forward this email to share these questions and answers with your friends and family so that we can get the truth out about our wild herds and end these myths once and for all!
Earlier this week, we told you about one of our investigations into the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) off range programs that revealed that some trainers participating in the BLM’s Trainer Incentive Program (TIP) sold mustangs into the slaughter pipeline and one horse even starved to death on a trainer’s property.
These crucial findings would have never been brought to light without the support of wild horse advocates like you. You make our work to protect wild horses and burros possible.
Outside of our investigations into the BLM’s off range programs, your donations enable us to expand a number of key initiatives that are advancing the cause of protecting wild horses and burros.
In the field, we’ve embarked on an exciting new initiative called the Land Conservancy Project. This innovative program aims to preserve and enhance habitat for America’s wild horses and burros. The goal is to support self-sustaining wild horse populations in ecological balance with other wildlife. To this end, AWHC recently acquired 3,300+ acres of prime habitat in Nevada’s beautiful Carson Valley to serve as a pilot program for the project. Can you chip in to help us continue funding exciting pilot projects like the Land Conservancy Project? >>
We’re also expanding our work with community groups conducting fertility control programs on local wild horse herds. For the past four years, we’ve implemented the world’s largest humane management program for wild horses on Nevada’s Virginia Range. Now, we recently received a federal grant to support the expansion of our fertility control program to Utah’s Cedar Mountain herd!
We also fought for provisions to be added to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 appropriations bills that would require the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to enact several key reforms to its Wild Horse and Burro Program, such as:
Requiring the BLM to use up to $11 million to implement substantial humane fertility control vaccine programs to manage wild horse and burro populations in the wild, diverting funds away from roundups.
Ending the cash incentive in the BLM’s disastrous Adoption Incentive Program (AIP), which has funneled hundreds of wild horses and burros into the slaughter pipeline.
Prioritizing partnerships with non-profit organizations for the management of wild horses and burros, including working with military veterans and wild horse organizations.
The American Wild Horse Campaign (AWHC) has been advocating for transparency and accountability in all of the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) initiatives, including the Adoption Incentive Program and the training programs for mustangs and burros.
For years, the BLM invested in a training program called the Trainer Incentive Program (TIP), which incentivizes trainers to adopt wild horses or wild burros, gentle them, and find them permanent homes. Once completed, the trainer is paid for their training services. However, only a few months ago, the agency abruptly ended the TIP and announced it would begin the process of partnering with a new organization to invest in wild horse and burro training programs.
Although humane training programs can be very effective in preventing our beloved wild equines from being sent to slaughter,AWHC’s Investigations Team found serious animal welfare issues within the TIP program, raising concerns about the potential treatment of mustangs in new training programs.
In 2021, the AWHC Investigations team received alarming information about trainers in the TIP. It was revealed that some of the trainers participating had sold their BLM wild horses into the slaughter pipeline. In addition, one trainer was found to havemalnourished animals on his property.
We submitted a comprehensive 21-page report to the BLM with our findings, but unfortunately, the response was underwhelming and our concerns were disregarded. This lack of action spurred us to file a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to learn about any investigative steps or corrective action taken.
According to the records, the BLM failed to investigate the incident thoroughly, leaving the very animals it is supposed to protect in harm’s way. Despite the severity of the allegations, the records show that only three internal emails were exchanged regarding the incident. Moreover, our Investigations Team uncovered that the BLM was aware of starving horses on the trainer’s property and that one horse even died due to “prolonged weight loss.”
It requires considerable effort to uncover crucial information like this – information that we then share with the media, legislators, and the public.
Last year, the BLM began to evaluate its holding facilities for wild horses and burros using standards set by its own Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program (CAWP). The agency made these assessments public, exposing numerous animal welfare violations within the BLM’s holding facilities. These findings serve as evidence that these pens are unsuitable for our wild herds.
The BLM assessed 17 of its 28 holding facilities so far, and the reports reveal several concerning violations, such as:
Insufficient access to hay and water
Pens without salt or mineral blocks
Lack of shade in outdoor pens
Failure to comply with vaccination policies
Poorly maintained facilities
Inadequate record-keeping practices
Failure to follow proper biosecurity measures to prevent the spread of contagious diseases, and more.
Thousands of wild horses and burros are confined in these overburdened and unsafe facilities → and American taxpayers are footing the bill.
According to the BLM’s own estimates, it costs the American taxpayer up to $48,000 over the lifetime of a wild horse or burro to keep him or her in a government holding facility. This broken system is cruel and expensive, and it’s only getting worse as more and more wild horses and burros are piled into these facilities each year.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recently unveiled its Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 roundup and removal schedule, and unfortunately, the agency is targeting even more horses and burros than it did last year.
The BLM announced that it’s planning to round up 8,896 wild horses and burros in total and permanently remove 8,236 of them from their homes in FY24 – a significant increase from the FY 2023 roundups. Nevada will again be hit the hardest with a staggering 5,862 wild horses and burros slated for removal.
To make matters worse, the agency is planning to use helicopters for all but two of these roundups. These operations often leave horses and burros traumatized, cause severe injuries, and can even result in the deaths of these innocent animals. That’s why we send observers to every roundup possible to document any abuses they see.
But we’ve seen year after year that the BLM and its contractors are placing our observers farther and farther from the trap sites, making it nearly impossible for them to see the operation and assess the treatment and conditions of the horses and burros. For example, during the ongoing roundup in the Calico Complex,our observers have been kept up to two miles away from the trap site, and even then, our view is often obstructed by the contractors.
This unscientific and inhumane policy of mass roundups as a “management” tactic for our nation’s iconic, federally protected wild horse and burro populations is not only unsustainable – it’s cruel.
We’re fighting to end this inhumane treatment of our wild herds, but until we can bring about the lasting change these innocent animals need, we need to ensure accountability and transparency within our federal government.
The American Wild Horse Campaign’s Investigations Team has uncovered some dark information about the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)’s summer 2022 roundup in the Twin Peaks Herd Management Area (HMA).
Here’s the grim truth of what happened, and how our Investigations Team was able to uncover it:
The Twin Peaks HMA is located on the California/Nevada border, spanning an impressive 800,000 acres of land. This beautiful HMA was home to over 3,000 wild horses and burros before the helicopters descended on the expansive western landscape. The agency rounded up 2,450 wild animals, including many young and vulnerable foals who were just born only a few months before.
Photo of the 2022 Twin Peaks roundup by RJ Stein Photography
The BLM reported 31 deaths during the roundup, but when our team dug in and submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, we uncovered the heartbreaking reality – 69 additional animals died at the government holding facilities during and immediately after the roundup.
Fourteen of these deaths were very young foals, who were chased by helicopters in high summer temperatures, and for long distances over rocky terrain. The records we received revealed the brutality and pain they endured. One note in the death records stated: “This foal was unfortunately found dead in one of our isolation pens…foals are foundering due to being run too far during the gather.” Another revealed: “…suspect this foal’s death was from the stress of being run long distances in rough terrain and in high temperatures.” And there were many more notes just like those. It was heartbreaking.
Not only that, but during the roundup there were several very concerning animal welfare violations that occurred. Our observers on the ground documented BLM-contracted helicopters chasing far too many wild horses into a small pen, causing the pen to collapse. Two horses died, several were injured, and the contractor’s staff was placed in danger.
This roundup was conducted in extreme heat and the horses were chased long distances. AWHC brought these concerns to not only the onsite BLM Incident Commander, but also sent a formal complaint to BLM leadership. Despite this, there were no changes implemented during the roundup.
The animal welfare violations we documented and the records we received pulled back the curtain on the BLM’s inhumane Wild Horse and Burro Program and illuminated the impact of summer roundups on the most vulnerable animals. Meredith, AWHC is committed to using this information as a catalyst for change. We will work tirelessly to hold the BLM accountable for its actions and continue to advocate for improved policies and practices that prioritize the welfare of these magnificent creatures
Your support will empower us to amplify these records, engage with policymakers and mobilize our grassroots army. Together we can create a brighter future for America’s wild horses and burros.
Did you see the American Wild Horse Campaign on CBS Colorado? One of our team members, AWHC spokesperson Scott Wilson, was recently interviewed by investigative reporter Katie Weiss.
Scott had a chance to talk about Colorado’s West Douglas herd roundup. Here’s what he had to say:
One of the most important things that the American Wild Horse Campaign does is educate the public about what’s happening to wild horses and burros, and the inhumane ways the federal government is treating them. We know there’s a better way, and that’s why we’ve been working to spread our message to as many folks as we can.
We’ve got a lot to share with you in this week’s edition of eNews, including AWHC spokesperson Scott Wilson’s new interview with CBS about the recent roundups in Colorado, the latest roundup reports from California and Nevada, and a blog highlighting the plight of Oregon’s majestic wild horse herds.
The Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) final few wild horse helicopter roundups of the summer roundup season have begun in California and Nevada. AWHC’s humane observers are onsite at the Surprise Complex capture operation and will be deploying more observers to cover the upcoming Desatoya herd Management and the Calico Complex roundups. Click here for our latest roundup reports.
AWHC spokesperson, Scott Wilson, was recently interviewed by CBS Colorado’s Katie Weiss about the state’s West Douglas Herd Area wild horse roundup. Wilson delivered a rebuke of the operation, saying “I think what we’re seeing…is a blunt force approach to conservation, which is costing the taxpayers an absolute fortune.” What’s more, CBS uncovered that the BLM permits more than eight times more cattle than horses on the land. Click here to watch the interview and read the full story!
Oregon is known for its captivating forests, untamed coastline, and limitless outdoor adventures. However, not everyone is aware of the presence of wild horses that roam the Oregon high desert. Discover the captivating herds of Oregon, the obstacles they encounter due to federal mismanagement, and the valuable role played by AWHC in safeguarding these iconic herds. Click here to read more.
“There is nothing so American as our national parks….The fundamental idea behind the parks…is that the country belongs to the people, that it is in process of making for the enrichment of the lives of all of us.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
Today is National Public Lands Day, a day celebrating the magnificent landscape that our nation’s beloved wild horses and burros call home.
Photo by Kimerlee Curyl
The conservation of our public lands — and the wildlife that inhabit them — is a proud statement of what Americans value. It’s a testament to our nation’s innate desire to protect what’s wild and free.
Currently, there are 640 million acres of federally protected land across the United States where elk trek the plains, eagles soar across the large western sky, and where wild horses and burros roam the rugged landscape.
But Meredith, our public lands, and our wild herds who inhabit them, are in danger. A century and a half ago, the U.S. supported almost two billion acres of public lands – nearly three times what it is today.
And alongside this dwindling public landscape has been the systematic elimination of America’s wild horses and burros’ habitat. These federally protected animals now live on just 27 million acres of public lands in ten Western states.
Worse, the federal government is determined to continue shrinking wild horse and burro populations even further as inhumane helicopter roundups continue, all while giving 97% of those lands — your lands — to the commercial livestock industry that has been lobbying for the removal of these innocent animals for decades and that wants to replace them with cattle and sheep grazing that we, the taxpayers, subsidize.
We know that there is a better way to manage our nation’s wild horses and burros on public lands where they belong. That’s why we’ve been fighting day in and day out in the field, in the courts, and on the Hill to conserve wild horses and burros for generations to come and protect the lands they call home. If you’re with us, please share this graphic on social media and join our fight.
We know that on a Monday afternoon you’re probably quite busy, but this is important:
Today is the last day of our fundraising drive to bolster our critical Observation Fund, but as of right now, we’re still about $7,000 away from our $30,000 goal. Right now, helicopters are flying in California and are set to take off in Nevada soon, so we can’t afford to fall short.
Hi, I’m Scott, a photoadvocate and spokesperson for the American Wild Horse Campaign.
I reside in Colorado, and have been photographing the wild herds that roam the state’s public lands for a few years now. In 2021, I became heavily invested in this issue when I got word in that my local herd in Sand Wash Basin was going to be rounded up. To me, it felt personal – I had to do something.
Together with advocates and local and national organizations, we worked hard to put a stop to the roundup. We garnered national media attention and got the ear of state and federal officials who tried to compel the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to call off the operation. Ultimately, the operation proceeded, but I take some solace in the fact that less horses were removed, and the agency told us that this herd will likely never face a helicopter stampede again.
While on the ground at the operation, I documented everything – telling stories of triumph and escapes, reunifications and the tragic injuries and deaths. More attention was garnered as a result of this documentation, and our chorus of advocates grew.
Since that time, I have documented the removal operations of more Colorado wild herds. Most recently, I was on the ground at the controversial West Douglas Herd Area roundup, where every single wild horse was forcibly taken from the lands they have called home for centuries.
We couldn’t let this removal happen in vain – the team at AWHC took my reports and photographs and disseminated them to the media. The results have been impactful – the Steamboat Pilot featured roundup coverage on its front page while other regional outlets including the Colorado Sun, the Durango Herald, Colorado Public Radio, Westword, and CBS used our imagery, information and quotes to let my fellow Coloradans know what was happening to our wild horses.
We know that when the American people hear about what’s happening to these beloved animals, they are outraged. It’s our job to build public awareness and the grassroots army necessary to rise up and advocate for the conservation of America’s mustangs and burros.Observing, documenting, and disseminating video and photos of the roundups is essential to raising this awareness.
There is a month and a half left of the summer roundup season, and hundreds of wild horses are still being targeted for capture and removal. Right now, the United States Forest Service has helicopters in California’s Devil’s Garden Wild Horse Territory, and in just a few days, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will begin a new series of roundups in California and Nevada.
Since July, the BLM has conducted 11 helicopter roundups in five states, and thanks to your support, we have been able to deploy our humane observers to the majority of them. Now, the BLM is set to begin its final three roundups of the season, and we plan to send our observers to document all of them. This is no easy task – these roundups occur in some of the most remote corners of the West, and getting our observers there and equipped is expensive, but it’s necessary.
Starting Monday, BLM helicopters will take flight in the Surprise Complex, which comprises three Herd Management Areas (HMA) in California – the High Rock HMA, Fox Hog HMA, and Wall Canyon HMA. The agency plans to capture 494 wild horses and permanently remove 404 of them.
Our observers will be the public’s eyes and ears on the ground, reporting back on what happens to our beloved herds during these often traumatic and potentially life-threatening operations. Our team will then disseminate their reports to the public, the media and to lawmakers on the Hill. There are so many people out there that don’t know what’s happening to wild horses, and we need to change that.
As you may recall, September is World Animal Remembrance Month. This time is dedicated to remembering all the animals who have touched our lives, but are no longer with us.
In that spirit, we want to take a moment to honor Bubba, Wyoming’s famed curly stallion who recently passed away.
We find solace in knowing that he died on the range, wild and free.
Bubba was one of the lead stallions of the Salt Wells Creek herd in the Red Desert of Wyoming. He was known as a ‘curly’, carrying in his genes some of the most unique DNA in the world that produces a crimped mane and curly coat.
In 2021, a large portion of Bubba’s family was torn apart when the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) conducted a large-scale helicopter roundup in the habitat he and thousands of other mustangs called home. Bubba survived the roundup and remained free, but unfortunately sustained an injury to his knee.
Bubba’s memory lives on, and his death strengthens our resolve to protect the family he has left behind.
Attorneys on behalf of the American Wild Horse Campaign (AWHC) have filed suit against the BLM for its plan to eradicate the public lands that 43 percent of Wyoming’s wild horses inhabit. In fact, the BLM is planning on removing every single wild horse from the Salt Wells Creek herd, Bubba’s former home. We will not back down from this fight.
The AWHC has been involved in critical litigation for more than a decade against the BLM to protect these herds – and now we face the final showdown. We must do what we can to save these wild horses.
We’ve got a lot to share with you in this week’s edition of eNews, including an action you can take to protect wild horses and burros on Capitol Hill, an insightful new op-ed from our Executive Director, Suzanne Roy, and the latest roundup reports from California and Colorado.
Helicopter roundups are hugely expensive and inhumane, and because they don’t stabilize the population, they have to be done again and again. The best and proven way to protect wild horses is through fertility control. The best way to keep wild horses free on public lands is through fertility control. Wild horses deserve far better than cruel captures by helicopters, to then be placed in cramped government holding facilities. Read the latest from AWHC’s Executive Director, Suzanne Roy.
On September 4, while many Americans were taking a day of rest and relaxation, the Devil’s Garden wild horses were being forcefully removed from their habitat on more than 278,000-acres of public land in California. AWHC was on site to bring you the latest.
The West Douglas Herd Area (HA) is situated in the northwest region of Colorado, just like the Piceance-East Douglas Herd Management Area (HMA). However, there is a difference between the two. While the Piceance HMA permits a maximum of 235 horses to reside there, the BLM has set the allowed population level of the West Douglas HA to 0. The BLM attributes this decision to the challenging terrain and limited summer range in the area. Interestingly, the agency still allows hundreds to thousands of cows to graze in the habitat area. Read our roundup report here.
