Fertility Control and Roundups: A Look at Two Wild Horse Herds
On a recent September morning, I joined Deb Walker, my colleague and the American Wild Horse Conservation's (formerly American Wild Horse Campaign) Nevada Field Representative, for an outing on the Virginia Range. Here, AWHC is funding and implementing the largest PZP fertility control program for wild horses in the world. This significant achievement is a testament to AWHC's dedication and the collaborative efforts of our partners.
The Virginia Range, nestled between Reno and Carson City in northern Nevada, is home to over 3,000 wild horses. These horses' ancestors inspired Velma Johnston, known as Wild Horse Annie, to launch a campaign that led to the Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971. Despite its 300,000 acres, the habitat faces challenges from residential and industrial development. However, a growing collaborative effort aims to preserve and protect these horses.
Deb introduced me to two of the 14 volunteer darters, Cathy Cottril and Wayne Woolway, who are responsible for vaccinating horses in and around Stagecoach. They meticulously identify and track each horse's vaccination history. Although they couldn't deliver a booster shot to a young mare that morning, they successfully vaccinated another mare, demonstrating their dedication and teamwork.
Since April, when AWHC signed a Cooperative Agreement with the Nevada Department of Agriculture, about 20 Virginia Range volunteers have committed approximately 4,800 hours. Their efforts have exceeded expectations, with 925 PZP applications delivered to mares by mid-September. This success is a significant win for the historic wild horse herd, promising reduced population growth rates and improved horse health.
A Lost Opportunity for California's Historic Herd
In contrast, the Devil's Garden Wild Horse Territory faces a different scenario. The U.S. Forest Service has commissioned a helicopter roundup targeting California's largest wild horse herd, costing taxpayers $636,142. Despite criticism and the availability of alternative management strategies, the Forest Service continues with this approach, aiming to reduce the wild horse population to a near extinction level.
The Forest Service partners with ranchers and other entities to maintain low wild horse numbers, prioritizing private land use. Despite the agency's claims of overpopulation, the difficulty in locating horses during roundups casts doubt on these assertions. The traumatic experience for the horses and the lost opportunity for alternative management strategies, like the proposed PZP fertility control project, highlight the need for change.
Currently, almost 350 Devil's Garden horses have been removed, with many facing uncertain futures. The Forest Service's plan to sell older horses without limitations raises concerns about their fate, including the risk of slaughter. AWHC and other groups are challenging this plan in court, advocating for the horses' right to remain in their natural habitat.
The Devil's Garden horses belong on their federally designated habitat, where they can live freely with their family bands. Without comprehensive fertility control, the cycle of roundups will continue, threatening the horses' lives and freedom.
Photo credits: Mary Ellen Kelly
Mary Konel is the Program Specialist for the American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Campaign). She holds an M.S. in Animals and Public Policy from the Tufts/Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine and serves as an adjunct instructor at the Center for Animals and Public Policy. A passionate advocate for horses, she focuses on wild horse adoption and humane management strategies.