Federal Judge Halts Wild Horse Sterilization Experiments

November 3, 2018

In a significant legal development, a U.S. District Court judge has issued a preliminary injunction halting the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) controversial plans to surgically sterilize wild mares in Oregon. This decision comes after a coalition of wild horse advocates filed a lawsuit against the agency, challenging the legality and ethics of the proposed experiments.

Background on the Controversial Experiments

The experiments were scheduled to commence this month on mares recently rounded up from the Warm Springs Herd Management Area. The procedure in question, known as ovariectomy via colpotomy, involves manually twisting, severing, and removing ovaries through an incision in the mares’ vaginal walls. The National Academy of Sciences previously warned against this procedure for field application due to risks of bleeding and infection.

Coalition and Legal Action

The coalition challenging the BLM includes the American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Campaign), Animal Welfare Institute, The Cloud Foundation, and its executive director Ginger Kathrens, who also serves on the National BLM Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board, along with photographer Carol Walker.

Judge's Ruling and Implications

U.S. District Court Judge Michael W. Mosman ruled that the coalition was likely to succeed in its claims that the BLM's restrictions on public observation of the sterilization procedures violated First Amendment rights. Additionally, the judge found the BLM's decision to forgo further inquiry into the social acceptability of the procedure to be arbitrary and capricious.

The ruling also supported the plaintiffs' request for an independent veterinary observer and the installation of non-intrusive cameras in surgical and horse holding areas.

Impact of the Injunction

This ruling effectively halts the surgical sterilization experiments until a final court decision is made. Joanna Grossman, Ph.D., equine protection manager for AWI, expressed gratitude for the court's intervention, emphasizing the importance of protecting federally protected wild horses and the public's right to transparency in government actions.

Despite significant public opposition and the withdrawal of Colorado State University from the project, the BLM had intended to proceed with the experiments.

For further details, see the original article from Argus Observer.