Thursday, October 22, 2009

DEADLY ROUND-UPS

No wonder BLM has barred humane observers from their round-ups.

An article from HORSEBACK apot lighted these facts

--The Bureau of Land Management's concerted effort to thin the herds of wild horses on land it manages has proven deadly, so deadly in fact, that for each of the last two years (and this year’s not over yet) there have been fatalities on almost half of the “gathers”

--In 2008, 45 percent of the roundups resulted in at least one fatality, and on one in Nevada, 27 horses died. The total number of deaths through injury or for other reasons totaled 126 animals last year

--The percentage of dead horses on BLM roundups this year is slightly worse at 46 percent resulting in at least one horse death. In July, a Wyoming gather proved fatal to 11 horses. To date this year, 79 horses have died as the agency rushes to clear wild horses from the West

--massive roundups are leaving the western wild horse herds genetically bankrupt; chemical sterilization is taking its toll as well

Over the last two years a total of 205 horses have died at the agency’s hands during its gathers to thin the herds despite the vastness of the lands managed by BLM..

--Although helicopter induced stampedes result in fatalities, the agency is reluctant to classify a limping horse as injured

--The bureau classifies equine deaths two ways, according to national spokesman Tom Gorey of the agency’s Washington office.
> those that died or were euthanized because of acute injuries or medical conditions brought about by the gather and removal process
>Those with pre-existing conditions (primarily related to shortage of water and poor forage conditions because of drought and wildfire)

BLM claimed 106 of the 126 deaths fall into the latter category.

OF COURSE THEY DO!

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Posted by Terri Farley @ 8:10 AM

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