Shocking Animal Cruelty Documented At Federal Wild Horse Roundup
Disturbing footage shows wild horse collapsed from exhaustion, kicked in the head multiple times by Bureau of Land Management contractor.
Photo from American Wild Horse Conservation.
On Tuesday, July 30, 2024, the American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC) filed a formal notice of abuse with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) related to recently released footage showing BLM contractors repeatedly kicking a collapsed wild horse in the head. The horse, who had been chased to exhaustion and roped, is one of over 1,700 wild horses and burros targeted for capture and removal in a BLM helicopter roundup in Nevada’s Blue Wing Complex.
The disturbing incident, caught on film by a trained on-the-ground observer for AWHC, clearly violates federal law and the agency’s own Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program standards. In its complaint, AWHC called for an immediate investigation into this incident of animal cruelty, which rises to a level of criminal conduct under the Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 and is punishable by a fine of up to $2,000 and/or one year in jail.
“The agency’s mandatory directive to ensure the humane care and treatment of wild horses, as well as the terms of its criminal penalties require, at minimum, an investigation and accounting of the despicable actions taken on behalf of your agency,” stated Fernando Guerra, Esq., AWHC’s Director of Law and Policy, in the letter submitted to BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning and BLM Nevada State Director Jon Raby.
The ongoing Blue Wing Complex roundup has been conducted under punishing conditions, amidst two prolonged heat waves and poor air quality due to wildfires in the area. An astounding 39 horses have so far perished during the roundup. The causes of death include:
- Traumatic injuries such as broken necks and blunt-force trauma
- Three animals arriving at the holding corrals dead on the trailer after transport from the roundup site.
- Non-life-threatening conditions like arthritis and clubbed feet for which the BLM routinely euthanizes animals.
The Blue Wing Complex operation is part of the BLM’s aggressive summer roundup campaign, which is targeting over 10,000 wild horses and burros for capture and removal from public lands.
“The blatant cruelty on display in this video is emblematic of the suffering inflicted on wild horses and burros in government roundups funded by our tax dollars,” said Suzanne Roy, executive director of AWHC. “We urge the BLM to immediately halt the Blue Wing roundup, thoroughly investigate this incident, and hold the contractors accountable, including with criminal charges and termination of the contract for roundup services. This treatment of our federally-protected wild horses and burros is unconscionable and must be addressed.”
About American Wild Horse Conservation:
American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC) is the nation’s leading nonprofit wild horse conservation organization, with more than 700,000 supporters and followers nationwide. AWHC is dedicated to preserving the American wild horse and burros in viable, free-roaming herds for generations to come, as part of our national heritage. In addition to advocating for the protection and preservation of America’s wild herds, AWHC implements the largest wild horse fertility control program in the world through a partnership with the State of Nevada for wild horses that live in the Virginia Range near Reno.
