The US government have revealed plans to reduce the number of wild horses and burros on public ranges, specifically in the West.

The proposal was drafted by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), who estimated that there were 83,000 wild horses and burros spread over 10 Western States in the US in 2017.

According to BLM’s proposal, there are supposed to be 27,000 wild horses and burros running free for a balanced ecosystem, with today’s number almost being three times the optimal amount. The mustangs and burros in government holding pens are costing the agency nearly $50 million dollars annually, as well as creating detrimental long-term effects to the environment. Many of the mustangs and burros running wild are malnourished, due to overpopulation and drought, making the issue about the environment and the welfare of the animals.

The BLM argues that the overpopulation of mustangs and burros, specifically in the Western rangelands degrades the quality of the land and the amount of resources available for both domestic and wild animals. The continuously growing mustang and burro number will cause harmful and potentially irreversible problems for the future.

The report outlines various plans to eradicate and further control the number of wild horses and burros. BLM have considered fertility control, culling, natural regulation, expansion of the holding pens and euthanasia as methods to reduce numbers.

The Bureau of Land Management have struggled to take action on the matter due to a variety of animal welfare groups arguing that some of the proposed plans are cruel and unwarranted, with the AWHC executive director claiming that “the agency has failed to deliver the ‘humane and politically viable’ options”.

The management of the wild horse and burro population is a contentious issue around the world, including here in Australia, with difficulty balancing the welfare of the animals and the environment.

To read more about the BLM plan, please click here.

Source: Written by Equestrian Life

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