Experts Challenge Science Behind Alberta's Wild Horse Culls

Experts from across North America met in southern Alberta for a symposium on preserving the province's wild horse populations. The event brought together veterinary geneticists, biologists, and paleontologists who challenged the province's policy of rounding up wild horses to limit their population.

Julie Woodyear, campaign director for Zoocheck, one of the groups behind the event, stated, "We've been challenging the science," accusing the government of lacking scientific backing for its horse management programs.

The government has argued that wild horses might be feral, descended from domestic horses used in logging and mining operations a century ago, and thus fall under the Alberta Stray Animals Act. Since the 1950s, feral horses have been periodically captured by the province and sold to private owners or for slaughter.

"We should be protecting these horses instead of eradicating them," said B.C.-based biologist Wayne McCrory, who authored a 2015 Zoocheck study recommending changes to the province's horse management practices. "Canada, unlike the United States, has not protected our horses."

Advocates argue that these animals are part of the province's heritage. Symposium attendees learned that genetic lines in Alberta's horse populations trace back to horses likely acquired by Indigenous peoples in the early 1700s, challenging the province's claim that the horses are recently feral. Another speaker highlighted the cultural importance of wild horses to First Nations.

Corleigh Powderface from Stoney Nakoda First Nation emphasized her culture's strong connection with wild horses, dating back countless generations. "We have such a strong spiritual connection with horses. That's traditional. That comes back from day one, day one when we were here with Mother Nature, before colonialism," she said.

Her father, Sykes Powderface, stressed the importance of First Nations' input in horse preservation. "There needs to be more consultation with the First Nations … they're very much a part of our overall ecosystem. They provide for us, they're our guides, and those are things that need to be talked about," he said.

Alberta's 2018 feral horse count, conducted in January, found 1,721 horses in Brazeau, Clearwater, Elbow, Ghost River, Nordegg, and Sundre areas, up from 1,202. The province noted this increase might not be due to a strong reproductive rate but could be related to illegally released domestic horses. Milder winters may also have contributed to the population growth.

No representatives from the Government of Alberta attended the symposium, but Woodyear mentioned that a video of the event would be sent to the minister of environment and parks. "These horses are important culturally for Alberta. They are a tourism opportunity," she said.

CBC has reached out to the minister's office for comment.

Originally posted by CBC News