AWHC Offers $5,000 Reward for Information in Shooting Death of Mono Lake Wild Foal

AWHC Offers $5,000 Reward for Information in Shooting Death of Mono Lake Wild Foal

Combined with Bureau of Land Management, Reward now totals $7,000  

(Mono County, CA June 30, 2025) — In response to the tragic shooting death of a wild foal from the Montgomery Pass Wild Horse Herd, American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC) is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the individual(s) responsible. This adds to a $2,000 reward offered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), bringing the total to $7,000.

On Friday, June 6, the BLM received a report of a deceased wild foal in the northern part of the Bishop Field Office, east of Mono Lake on BLM-managed lands. A subsequent necropsy confirmed that the young horse died from a gunshot wound. The foal was part of the iconic Montgomery Pass wild horse population, which is primarily managed by the Inyo National Forest.

“This act of cruelty is both heartbreaking and unacceptable,” said Suzanne Roy, Executive Director of AWHC.“These wild horses are federally protected and deserve to live free from violence. We hope this reward encourages anyone with information to come forward so justice can be served.”

“It's with great sadness to hear of our wild horses being murdered, we pray that wild horses get justice.” said the Utu Utu Gwaitu Paiute Tribe.

The shooting comes as the BLM prepares for a controversial roundup of the Montgomery Pass wild horses. The current plan authorizes the capture and removal of approximately 300–500 horses from the area. AWHC, along with tribal nations, is calling for a two-year delay to the roundup to allow time for meaningful tribal coordination in the management of these culturally and ecologically significant animals.

“These horses are not only a vital part of the local ecosystem, but they hold deep cultural importance to local, Indigenous communities,” Roy added. “They deserve to be treated with dignity and managed humanely, not rounded up or gunned down.”

BLM law enforcement is leading the investigation into the foal’s death with support from the Mono County and Inyo County Sheriff’s Offices, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Bishop Veterinary Hospital.

Anyone with information about this crime is urged to contact the 24-hour WeTip anonymous crime reporting hotline at 1-800-78-CRIME (1-800-782-7463) or visit www.WeTip.com.

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‍American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC) is the nation’s leading nonprofit wild horse conservation organization, with more than 700,000 supporters and followers nationwide. AWHC is dedicated to preserving the American wild horse and burros in viable, free-roaming herds for generations to come, as part of our national heritage. In addition to advocating for the protection and preservation of America’s wild herds, AWHC implements the largest wild horse fertility control program in the world through a partnership with the State of Nevada for wild horses that live in the Virginia Range near Reno.