Nonprofits Sue to Halt 'Inhumane' Government Plan to Sterilize Wild Horses

Nonprofit organizations are taking legal action against a government project to sterilize wild horses, citing concerns over animal welfare and legal violations. The project, proposed by the Bureau of Land Management, aims to control the wild horse population through a controversial surgical procedure.

On September 25, 2018, nonprofit organizations filed lawsuits to stop an Interior Department project that would sterilize up to 100 wild female horses in Oregon. The procedure, deemed "dangerous" and "inhumane" by these groups, involves a surgical technique called ovariectomy via colpotomy.

Legal Challenges and Concerns

Front Range Equine Rescue filed a federal lawsuit in Washington D.C., challenging the project on the grounds that it violates the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act and the National Environmental Policy Act. Similarly, the American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Campaign) and the Cloud Foundation filed a lawsuit in Oregon, arguing that the project violates the First Amendment by restricting observation of the experiment.

The Controversial Procedure

The procedure involves removing the mare's ovaries through an incision, a method criticized for being invasive and risky. The Bureau of Land Management argues that this research is necessary to manage the overpopulation of wild horses, which currently exceeds sustainable levels on public lands.

Alternative Solutions

Both Front Range Equine Rescue and the American Wild Horse Conservation advocate for the use of a birth control vaccine, Porcine Zona Pellucida (PZP), as a more humane alternative. However, the Bureau of Land Management notes that PZP requires frequent administration, which poses logistical challenges.

Project Developments

The project involves 200 horses from the Warm Springs Herd Management Area in Oregon, with half undergoing the procedure. The Bureau of Land Management, in collaboration with the US Geological Survey, initially partnered with Colorado State University. However, the university withdrew after public backlash.

Despite previous attempts to implement this procedure in 2016, legal challenges prevented its execution. The Bureau plans to begin the project in October, with surgeries potentially starting in November.

For more details, visit the original CNN article.