Feds Initiate Controversial Wild Horse Roundup in Modoc County
October 11, 2018
In Modoc County, federal officials have commenced a controversial roundup of wild horses due to the rapidly growing population that the land can no longer sustain. This operation has sparked a heated debate about the future of these animals.
Ranchers claim the increasing horse population disrupts the area's ecological balance, while activists fear many older horses may end up being slaughtered. The operation, involving a helicopter and a team of wranglers, aims to gather up to 65 wild horses daily.
“We have the best contractors in the country helping us,” said Laura Snell with UC Extension. “They know how to get those horses in as safely as possible, how to get them sorted, and they really care about the horses.”
The goal is to remove 1,000 horses over the next 17 days. Ken Sandusky from the U.S. Forest Service emphasized the necessity of this action due to the land's capacity, which is meant for 200 to 400 horses, while the current population nears 4,000, growing at 20% annually.
“I can show you miles of this fence where horses have broken through,” Sandusky noted, highlighting the competition for resources with the county's primary business: cattle.
With changing climates, invasive grasses are replacing native perennials, offering little nutrition. “You can see where the horses have bitten up this Medusa Grass, realized it’s not good food, and spit it back out all over here,” Sandusky explained.
The youngest horses, about 700, will be sent to a BLM holding facility for adoption. However, around 300 horses aged ten and older will be held at the new Devil’s Garden Corral until their fate is decided.
“They will be made available for adoption with limitation for 30 days,” said Sandusky. “After that, they’ll be available for sale without limitation, for one dollar a head.”
Wild horse advocates are closely monitoring the situation, voicing concerns about potential slaughter. “The numbers are high and something has to be done about it, but slaughter is not an option,” said Steve Page with the American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Campaign). “They could be doing more active birth control. They could be removing smaller numbers where they are more likely to get adopted out.”
Police presence underscores the strong opinions on the horse removal process and its preventability. Yet, the atmosphere is more of solemn resignation than conflict.
“I’m also a local person who was raised on an Indian Reservation, and so I relate to the wild horses,” said wild horse adoption volunteer Rosemary Nelson. “I feel like a wild Indian who’s been tamed somewhat.”
Nelson admitted her perspective has shifted. “I’ve come more to the center and realized that slaughter may have to be part of the solution,” she explained.
While the roundup continues for several weeks, the debate over the management of wild horses persists. “There’s a right and a wrong way to manage these horses and this is the wrong way,” Page asserted.
Meanwhile, the future of the older horses remains uncertain. “These ten-year-olds, we’re really working hard to find homes for them,” Sandusky said.
Originally posted by CBS SF Bay Area