11 mustangs die 10 days into roundup on federal lands in Nevada

Eleven wild horses have died during a massive mustang roundup in Nevada, prompting local politicians to call for an end to allowing helicopters to capture the animals.

Five young foals, four horses with broken necks and a stallion that was euthanized after it fled from a helicopter and horseback rider for more than half an hour on a snapped rear leg were among the mustangs killed within the first 10 days of the roundup, witnesses said.

The stallion that broke its leg, affectionately known to locals as “Mr. Sunshine,” broke his leg while hopping over a trap fence last Wednesday. 

“It made me physically ill to see what was done to that beautiful stallion I have known for years,” said Laura Leigh, the founder of Nevada-based nonprofit organization Wild Horse Education.

Leigh has been fighting to end roundups outright for decades. She claims the contracted wranglers were trying to pressure the mustangs into the temporary trap coral when the horse leaped out and broke his leg.

“He tried to buck off the searing pain and then struggled on three legs. He was then pursued to the far side of the valley and shot. The incident took longer than 30 minutes to resolve,” she said. “These barbaric, cruel, intentional acts must end.”

Nevada Democratic Rep. Dina Titus criticized the Bureau of Land Management for using helicopters to scare the mustangs during the roundups.

“This latest instance of BLM mistreatment of Nevada’s wild horses is tragic,” Titus said Tuesday.

Bureau spokeswoman Rita Henderson said a “vast majority” — more than 99% — of the horses corralled during roundups are not injured and injuries and deaths are rare.

The roundups began on July 9 in eastern Nevada between Elko and Ely, where overpopulated herds are seriously damaging the fragile desert ecology of the range.

Nevada is home to nearly two-thirds of the nearly 69,000 wild horses the bureau estimated on March 1 to be roaming federal lands in 10 Western states stretching from California to Montana.

The helicopters, the agency said, are necessary for the roundups.

“The BLM policies and staff prioritize the well-being and humane care of all wild horses during all gather operations,” bureau spokeswoman Heather O’Hanlon said in an email Monday.

The agency has a Department of Agriculture veterinarian working with bureau officials to ensure the health and safety of horses and people, she added.

BLM said it plans to gather about 2,000 horses from the roundup in three areas — the Antelope Valley, Goshute and Spruce-Pequop. It says the estimated 6,852 horses is nearly 14 times what the range can sustain.

As of Tuesday, they had gathered 1,087, the bureau said.

The agency says the roundups will protect the habitat for other wildlife species, such as sage grouse, pronghorn antelope, mule deer and elk, said Gerald Dixon, the bureau’s Elko district manager.

Critics say the true aim is to appease ranchers who don’t want horses munching on the high-desert forage they need for their own livestock.

With Post wires