Will Darts Help Tame the Wild Horse Controversy?
Every Wednesday morning in Utah's West Desert, volunteers armed with rifles venture into a herd of wild horses, aiming to help them survive. Instead of harming the mustangs, these volunteers are part of a long-running science experiment aimed at resolving a decades-old controversy over the future of these picturesque animals.
Jessica Franzen, a volunteer, explains her role: "Because I love the horses," she says. "I do love helping out. There's a huge need." The volunteers attempt to get close enough to shoot a dart at the hindquarters of a wild mare. These darts, powered by CO2, deliver a shot of PZP, a contraceptive that temporarily sterilizes the mare. A booster shot each year maintains this effect.
Jan Drake, who works with Wild Horses of America, explains, "It helps the horses by not having the stresses of foaling out every year. It makes them healthier, and it does reduce the population." This population control is crucial for those who believe there are too many wild horses and burros, with about 95,000 currently roaming public lands in 10 western states.
The sterilization effort is particularly timely this year due to the expected harsh summer, exacerbated by a deepening megadrought threatening the mustangs. Government wranglers from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) have developed a controversial plan to round up and capture many wild horses, removing them from their historic range near the U.S. Army's Dugway Proving Ground. This plan clashes with the sentiments of many horse lovers who see mustangs as a living symbol of the American West.
The Onaqui herd, roaming near Dugway, is one of the most photographed groups of wild horses in Utah. Tourists like Kaysville's Dave Packer appreciate their beauty and heritage, emphasizing the need for both protection and management.
"Right now, drought has made life tough," Drake notes, not only for wild horses but also for sheep and cattle competing for the same resources. Mustang enthusiasts predict worsening conditions by late summer.
Darting with contraceptives is a strategy to control a population explosion that began after Congress banned mustang slaughter in 1971. The BLM has periodically used round-ups, or "gathers," to capture excess horses, but this has provided homes for fewer than 3,000 horses annually. Most gathered horses remain in government corrals and pastures at taxpayer expense.
Deb Walker of the American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Campaign) states, "We can dart a mare for about $700 over her lifetime." Last year, 126 mares in the Onaqui herd were darted, with the technique proving successful on several other herds as well.
Despite the fertility control program's success, the BLM plans a major gather in July, upsetting many horse lovers. The BLM typically uses helicopters to drive the horses into traps, a method criticized as inhumane by Walker: "The families are separated, the moms are crying for the babies, the babies are crying for the moms, the stallions are crying for their families. It's just, it's an old tool and it needs to go away."
The BLM plans to round up 400 Onaqui horses, returning the healthiest 100 or so to the range after health checks and sterilizations. Some argue this is better for the horses than the drought's potential devastation.
Critics question the BLM's motives, noting healthy Onaqui horses and the continued presence of private livestock on public lands. Walker comments, "It always stumps me how they can clear the land of the wild horses and then we'll see sheep or cattle out on the very same land."
The BLM maintains that livestock grazing is part of its multipurpose mission, with Howell stating, "I believe that we can have multiple use out here, and that, with appropriate levels, it can sustain the animals."
The debate continues: Is it more humane to control horse and livestock populations according to available resources, or let the megadrought take its toll? On a photo expedition, Packer sides with the BLM, saying, "I think the gatherings are probably necessary to keep the herds under control. For the herd health itself, they need to do something. And as much as we love the horses, we need to have them managed well also."
Originally posted by KSL TV