BLM Launches New Research into Wild Horse Population Control

CHEYENNE, Wyo. —The federal government is preparing to launch a new round of studies into ways to prevent wild horses and burros from overpopulating Western rangelands, including making contraceptive drugs last longer.

Currently, the longest-lasting contraceptive used by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) on female wild horses is a drug calledPZP, which lasts no more than a year or two. TheBLMadministers this drug either by darting mares with it in liquid form or injecting it in pellet form into mares that have been rounded up.

One new study will attempt to develop a permanent contraceptive, while another will try to devise a new way to deliverPZPto extend its effectiveness.

TheBLMplans 21 research projects costing $11 million over five years. Several will involve universities and the U.S. Geological Survey, with four projects already underway.

Other upcoming research projects will include seeking an incision-free, minimally invasive method of surgical sterilization for mares and testing the efficacy of contraceptives on female burros.

Adoption rates for rounded-up wild horses have declined, with about 2,500 adopted annually, down from around 8,000 in the early 2000s. Thousands of un-adopted horses are sent to off-range pastures and corrals, where the cost of keeping each for the remainder of its life averages nearly $50,000.

Wild horses are a contentious topic in the West. Ranchers argue they damage the rangeland and consume forage meant for cattle, while horse advocates criticize theBLM'sroundupsas cruel and insufficient for ensuring the herds' long-term viability.

Both sides have sued theBLMover wild horses with varying success. In April, a federal judge in Cheyenne dismissed a lawsuit filed by Wyoming that sought to force theBLMto immediately round up overpopulated herds.

Last week, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service denied a petition filed by Friends of Animals and The Cloud Foundation seeking Endangered Species Act protection for wild horses, stating that wild horses aren't significantly different from domestic horses.

Wild horse advocates disagree on the use of contraceptives. One group, the American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign), recently supported contraceptives as preferable toroundupsfor a Utah herd. However, the group opposes the new research, arguing it will subject wild horses to "highly invasive" surgery.

They argue that developing a permanent contraceptive drug for mares shouldn't be considered as it would diminish wild horses'genetic diversity.

Originally Posted by Associated Press