(photo: BLM)
When I read a Letter to the Editor (below) written by Heidi Hopkins of HSUS, I almost had a conniption fit (whatever that is, I almost had one). She asks “Why isn’t fertility control being used on wild burros?”
Fertility control shouldn’t be used on wild burros because there are hardly any left on our public lands. On the BLM’s most recent “Herd Area and Herd Management Area Statistics” report, the BLM claimed there were only 8,394 burros in the entire U.S.
We all know that the BLM exaggerates its numbers by doubling or tripling the true number, so there may, in reality, only be 4,000 or fewer wild burros. But even if there were 8,394 wild burros, 5,000 adults are the minimum number needed to preserve them. Why suggest using fertility control on wild burros that are at such a low population level that they could be considered endangered?
You stated below that the BLM in Billings, Montana (Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range) said they’re “on the cusp of nearly eliminating the need for wild horse removals due to the use of PZP.”
The BLM established an Appropriate Management Level (AML) of only 90- 120 wild horses on the Pryors, excluding current year foals. (Dr. Gus Cothran has stated that 120-150 BREEDING AGE ADULTS are needed for a viable herd.) So, maybe there won’t be roundups, but the BLM is on the cusp of another way to get rid of wild horses & burros: minimally reproducing herds and non reproducing herds.
And I have a question for you.
Why isn’t the HSUS sending out e-mails to their members and writing letters to the Editor demanding an Amendment to ALL BLM Resource Management Plans to make sure wild horse and burro AMLs are set to viable herd levels (120-150 BREEDING AGE ADULTS)? HSUS should move forward with this. – Debbie
SOURCE: havasunews.com
Heidi Hopkins: Why isn’t fertility control being used on wild burros?
Editor:
The Bureau of Land Management should start using fertility control on wild burro herds right away (“Our View: BLM should trade in burro roundups for fertility control,” Mar. 23).
Fertility control, specifically porcine zona pellucida, is being used on various wild horses throughout the country and has proven effective. In fact, in a press release issued last week the BLM field office in Billings, Montana announced they are “on the cusp of nearly eliminating the need for wild horse removals due to the use of PZP.”
So why not use this same technology on wild burros? The Humane Society of the United States has proposed to the BLM a large-scale fertility control research project on wild burros and has stepped forward with funding through The Platero Project, a grant awarded to The HSUS to assist with the cost of the work. In the meantime, the burros have been busy reproducing.
Wild burros are extremely well adapted to the harsh desert environment and deserve to live their life out on the range where they have been for the past 200 years. BLM’s typical management actions of gather, remove and adopt are not sustainable.
There are currently over 800 formerly wild burros in holding awaiting adoption already. BLM should move forward with fertility control.
Heidi Hopkins
Categories: Horse News, Wild Burros
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
Bizzitch
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Its a Bloody Disgrace the Bloody cold bloody MURDER of the Burros,all fot the Almighty $$$$$$,Sick ,Sick,Sick.
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Remember wasn’t it Heidi Hopkins who used to work for the BLM ? ! I never could understand why HSUS hired her.
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http://wildhorsefoundation.net/hsus-uses-pzp-to-kill-wild-horses-and-get-paid-for-it/
Wouldn’t this apply to burros too?
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Heidi Hopkins is a former BLM “wild horse specialist” (a title with NO fundamental meaning, since the established reprehensible practices of the BLM determine what the officer duties are, not what is best for wild horses) She has been working for the HSUS for some years. I have followed the bureaucratic HSUS subterfuge and evasion of transparency with the HSUS membership since discovering the Humane Society NEVER puts up reports or photographic evidence of the helicopter roundups, the conditions in the “horse jails”, the death and disease of the captured horses, the lack of accounting for foal deaths, and many other heinous, ongoing policies. The HSUS membership is kept completely in the dark about mustang round-ups while puppy mill dogs and the travesties associated with that industry get constant coverage and photographic footage.
Even when Hopkins has personally viewed cruel helicopter hazing of tiny foals and mares, the timid wording and “encouragement” proffered to the BLM to not be so naughty, (especially when the Humane Society is actually present at the site)
is nauseatingly servile. See this report by Hopkins—
Click to access doc48-6exh14_stmthhopkins.pdf
Of particular note in this report from 3 YEARS AGO, is the vaunted promise of the Comprehensive Animal Welfare Policy handbook which is STILL just empty wording by BLM.
“We understand that in July the BLM is preparing to release parameters included
in the Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program.
After the incident that occurred on Wednesday, The HSUS expressed to the
BLM our concerns and note that the BLM responded with some positive changes during
the gather for the next three days. For example, several groups of horses were
pursued and then let go when it was apparent that they would not come into the trap.
No foals were separated from their bands during capture operations.
The BLM should immediately appoint an animal welfare liaison who can
intercede in these emergency instances to balance the contractor’s obligation to gather
a set number of horses and the horse welfare on the range. In addition, if the contractor
is paid “per head”, The BLM and the contractor should provide a clause in the contract
that provides for a “release in the best interests of the horses” clause so as to
compensate the contractor for releasing horses when conditions warrant.
Last July, The Humane Society of the United States issued a detailed report
recommending many improvements to BLM’s Standard Operating Procedures at wild
horse gathers, that report can be viewed at the following link:
http://www.humanesociety.org/news/press_releases/2011/07/wild_horse_gathers_repor”
Heidi Hopkins and the rest of the Humane Society of the US staff involved with Wild Horse and Burro decisions that go hand-in-glove with the conduct of the BLM will never, from all signs I can see, change from a focus on 2 things–1) wild equines are overpopulated, 2) wild equines must be given PZP despite all evidence to the contrary that the herds are being managed to extinction and taken off their former lands with ever increasing speed. The complete fiction and lack of scientific integrity of the BLM data gathering and management justifications is taken at face value by HSUS. Here is a direct quote from another officer, Holly Hazard, at HSUS as to why their decisions and protocols are the only viable and relevant views– August, 2011—The reams of excuses, platitudes, and patronizing remarks is quite astonishing—
“The BLM has in fact, changed significantly from the organization it was three years ago. It is not perfect. It is not what we wish it to be and it is not good enough. But your rhetoric about the BLM failing to try to change is simply wrong. It is a long, difficult process to change an organizational culture. And it cannot come from the outside, or even Washington DC. Due to the efforts of HSUS and others, the BLM began two years ago requiring that for any gather, any mare turned back on the range must be treated with birth control to begin to slow (and hopefully one day stop) helicopter gathers. The HSUS has been to several gather sites in the past two years and has plans to attend several more in the next few months. While it might feel good to attend these gathers, find fault, and then publicly attack the BLM on its failings, we have found this helps feed anger and self-righteousness of humans but it really does little to nothing to help the horses. Over and over we have found that by quietly talking to field officials and BLM managers, with the threat that if they do not correct a cruelty or oversight we will notify our members, that they have made significant progress in changing the culture of their employees and contractors. It would be so much easier for us to jump on the bandwagon and exploit their failings, hysterically allege cruelty without any investigation (as we could have with the foal picture for example) and incite our membership to declare war on the agency. But it is a war we would lose. The agency would lose trust that, if we present them with concerns, they are valid, and that if they act responsibly, we will support that action. If they fail to listen, we let our members and the Congress know we need to apply the pressure of dissent. We have done this as well. To employ the strategy of hysterical condemnation every time there is a problem just becomes noise to the agency (as frankly, your emails have to us) and the agency simply stops even listening. And, in the end, the agency holds most, if not all, the cards. To ostracize and chronically belittle them has the opposite effect of reform. It has made them calloused and rigid”
“We have surgically identified some significant failings for which we were unable to find any traction in the agency and have taken a public stand on each. For example we have publicly and critically called the agency on the inexplicable continuation of gathering large numbers of horses with no home to place them. We have publicly and forcefully criticized gathers of compromised animals or gathers in extreme temperatures. We have objected publicly the cruelty of the helicopter pilot who continued to harass a mare.”
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Well, as we know from several other issues facing advocates of animal rights to kind interactions – IT IS ALL ABOUT GETTING ALONG – going along, mAintaining the network, KEEPING THE INCOME FLOWING!! Tell BLM, write emails send letters and get her sorry smarmy useless position deleted from the budget. I do not want to pay a salary or a line item code to continue this irrational result. We all waited for HSUS to tell it like it is. They rolled. It is more important that HSUS and nw ASPCA tthat their contacts be maintained – because face it – taxpayers create an endless bucket of dough. Some advocates discovered this when the grant carrot was dangled.
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Again, I want to emphasize the patronizing tone the HSUS employs to insist that ONLY their interaction process with BLM is meaningful and logical—so, advocates can just get OUT of the way and stop “hysterically allege(ing) cruelty”
HSUS has NEVER shown the images of cruelty to any of the membership and many of the “reports” on round-ups are “press-releases” buried deep in the website that no one ever reads. This is the lie that Hazard outlines with these words—
“….threat that if they do not correct a cruelty or oversight we will notify our members, that they have made significant progress in changing the culture of their employees and contractors.” Her letter to me is a paean of self-congratulation and empty “diplomacy-speak” and she seems to take me for a fool—but I guess it serves her purposes not to get knocked off her pedestal.
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That was the same language she employed while working for BLM during the Antelope and Triple B roundups. She was useless for information. And was busier roaming the wildlands and socializing than getting answers to rational probing questions. She has taken the same attitude with her role as laison for HSUS to our burros. She GAVE the HSUS nod to send the burros to Guatemala. She pitched a bigger handle (money) to run HSUS Platero Project. She needs to get out. Please write to BLM and demand she be given the boot. We don’t need another layer of BS to deal with.
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Jan—“she” doesn’t “need to get out”—where she IS suits her purposes for propaganda just fine! If a so-called “humane organization”, such as HSUS purports to be, has no problem with her actions and uninvolvement with real issues, how is writing the BLM going to get her booted out?? The group that claims interest in the horse’s welfare does not show the slightest interest in exposing the machinations of BLM contractors, or rigged numbers and “scientific” studies. The two groups are in bed with each other, smug in the power relationship.
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Many thanks for all that info, Susan. Also remember when Heidi worked for BLM and was over a HMA where wild horses were found without water?
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There hardly burros left to use fertility grubs in the first place.
Wild Horse’s and Burros are not over populated.
Livestock ranchers and rich individuals like Hoch Brothers, Ted Turner, Walmart Executives, Sinclair Oil and many others who hold large grazing permits for public land’s are buying their way with Congress members who want Our American Wild Horse’s and Burros off public land’s.
Also so these Forbes List individuals are buying out small livestock ranchers to goblet up more grazing permits on public land’s.
Also some state’s with members in Congress want to buy our public land’s for their agenda’s one these horse’s and burros gone.
And if these succeed in buying back public land’s will be at the expense of the taxpayer’s who have been paying taxes on these land’s for decades.
Theodore Roosevelt wanted these public land’s protected against destructive corporations that would destroy wildlife and it’s beautiful country.
Theodore Roosevelt said that public land’s belong to all Americans.
No Sale.
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The below comes from the book, “Managing for Extinction” published by the Animal Welfare Institute a few years back and shows the BLM’s attitude toward and plan for our wild burros.
“ From an estimated population of 14,000 in 1974 to an estimated A M L of 2,750 in 2005, there will be an 80 percent reduction in the wild burro population…Wild burro habitat has been reduced by 45 percent.”
—“A Strategy to Achieve and Manage Wild Burros at Appropriate Management Levels,” BLM, June 2000
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Heidi just wants another group of wild equids to experiment on. The burros are an easy target. Shame on HSUS.
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As for Heidi’s puffery statement, “the burros have been busy reproducing” … what is she saying? That burros reproduce like rabbits? Facts state otherwise and in a recent independent survey of 158 wild burros, the data indicated a 7% population growth rate for burros based on yearling survival … not to mention adult mortality which would bring the annual population increase down even further. The BLM, along with the help of the propaganda from Heidi and the HSUS is truly managing our wild burros to extinction.
https://rtfitchauthor.com/2014/04/28/report-wild-horse-population-growth/
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Dear Heidi: Why don’t you go get a real job? You were a wash out as public relations for BLM – didn’t know the issues or how to respond to difficult situations. You ran for the carrot and joined HSUS. You nodded your head with approval on the plan to send OUR burros to Guatemala. I saw you smiling, but could fathom why. Good buddies still with the extermination planners? I followed the actions of the Platero project and watcjhed expensive transportatin arranged for 1 or 2 burros being sent all over the US. You even made plans to ship 2 burros to Alaska. Can you imagine the stress those little guys went through. Wow, you really have a handle on things. You sat in the advisory board meeting and pitched HSUS greater role in the management of the burros. And they nodded their heads – “ah, yes, we could cut you a bigger share of the taxpayer funds. Err, I mean HSUS.”. EPA has already approved PZP on the burros and HSUS/BLM has BEEN pzping them since 2002, so why beguile the American citizen with this BS letter?
Don’t mean t be rude. I am a taxpayer though, and your cutesy sweetsy manner – empty headed letter to encourage people too busy to know better to give the nod for the extination of the burros is repulsive.
Like I said, you should go get a real job.
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Heidi Hopkins: all wild horses and wild burros are wild until the day their title passes (thanks to Burns betrayal). Don’t you know that? They still have the protection of the American people. They are STILL wild. Or maybe you have brokered title be given to HSUS?
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Heidi,
We haven’t forgotten your past actions toward our wild horses and burros and you should hang your head in shame and disgrace and embarrassment. Excerpts from American Herds:
It may also explain why, in September 2007, when 185 wild horses were dying at BLM’s Palomino Valley Wild Horse and Burro Holding Center due to one of the worst cases of mismanagement ever recorded, HSUS didn’t bother protesting, challenging or asking BLM for accountability because they were busy negotiating with BLM for places and herds to conduct their new experiments on.
In fact, HSUS had so little concern for what happened to the Jackson Mountain wild horses, they brought the BLM WH&B Specialist in charge of the fiasco, Heidi Hopkins, under their wing right after the round up to become the project lead.
Heidi now works side by side with BLM personnel as a “humane representative” for HSUS and is responsible for monitoring the Sand Wash and Cedar Mountain wild horses herds HSUS gave the thumbs up for BLM to round up this past fall – despite knowing the captured “excess” wild horses are now at serious risk of facing slaughter or execution.
Maybe being a former BLM employee explains why Heidi or HSUS expressed no concerns about how the contractors at the Sand Wash round up funneled way too many wild horses much too fast down the chutes, causing them to dogpile over each other … leading to the trampling of a mare that professional wildlife photographer Carol Walker caught on film.
Perhaps this also explains why, THOUGH HEIDI WAS DIRECTLY AT THE CAPTURE SITE, SHE DIDN’T SEE A NEED TO PROTEST OR STOP THE ROUND UP up as the contractor drove them straight into trailers and instead, counseled Ms. Walker about how advocates must be “pragmatic” regarding BLM’s management of wild horses and how only PZP will save them.
http://americanherds.blogspot.com/2009/02/taboo-ii.html
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From AMERICAN HERDS
JACKSON MT. WILD HORSES (excerpts)
http://americanherds.blogspot.com/
Though what happened to the Jackson Mountains wild horses and the months leading up to their deaths was one of the worst cases of wild horse “mismanagement” ever documented, not a single animal welfare group or humane advocacy organization expressed interest in legally challenging BLM’s actions or demanded accountability for what was done.
As for BLM’s Winnemucca WH&B Specialist, Heidi Hopkins, it is unclear if BLM merely hung her out to dry for what was ultimately the Wild Horse and Burro Program’s more experienced supervisors responsibility or if BLM merely cut a deal to buy loyalty and continue the cover ups.”
“According to Quarter Horse News, Heidi Hopkins left BLM after the Jackson Mountains round up to “take a position with Humane Society of the United States in its quest to find reliable immunocontraceptives for wild horses
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From AMERICAN HERDS
JACKSON MT. WILD HORSES (excerpts)
http://americanherds.blogspot.com/
Though what happened to the Jackson Mountains wild horses and the months leading up to their deaths was one of the worst cases of wild horse “mismanagement” ever documented, not a single animal welfare group or humane advocacy organization expressed interest in legally challenging BLM’s actions or demanded accountability for what was done.
As for BLM’s Winnemucca WH&B Specialist, Heidi Hopkins, it is unclear if BLM merely hung her out to dry for what was ultimately the Wild Horse and Burro Program’s more experienced supervisors responsibility or if BLM merely cut a deal to buy loyalty and continue the cover ups.”
“According to Quarter Horse News, Heidi Hopkins left BLM after the Jackson Mountains round up to “take a position with Humane Society of the United States in its quest to find reliable immunocontraceptives for wild horses
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As contradictory as BLM information is on the astounding and uninhibited reproductive capabilities of wild horses, their understanding of wild burros is (what’s the word?) NIL.
They design wild burro processes as if burros were just short horses. And it’s absolutely WRONG.
Wild horses live in social group because it’s necessary. Wild burros live in groups because they choose to. Many jacks lead a solitary and satisfying existence, loosely patrolling their ‘territory’, and ‘hooking up’ at the lady’s choice.
Jennies tend to be older when they breed. It can take as long as 14 months to bring a foal to bear. And they won’t breed every year, the way the BLM insists wild horses will. Their forage requirements are smaller; they can go without water longer. They are fearless, indulging their curiosity even where humans are concerned. This we’ve seen on our own ventures into an HMA where both are present. Wild horses tend to avoid us, but wild burros will stop and stare, jockeying around each other to get a look at us.
One incident on our last trip had us greeting a rather ‘experienced’ jack (shredded ear, scarred face, judgy look) standing his ground as a member of our team approached him. There was no ‘prey’ response in him; he appeared to view our teammate as an equal.
Most of the information managing agencies disclose on wild horses is so generalized as to be meaningless, repetition based on a single report written in 1982. Wild burros seem to be lumped in among the tidbits in the hope no one will notice – they are NOT miniature horses, but an independently-evolved branch off the same tree. It’s tantamount to inferring there are no fundamental differences between wild horses and zebras.
Hell; none of these animals even speak the same language.
Heidi should stick to things she actually knows about…whatever those might be.
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Thank you very much for your input Lisa. I have educated myself on wild horse behavior, but previously had very little knowledge on wild burro behavior. Also, I’m not trying to debase our efforts to protect the wild horses, but wild burros seemed to get much less publicity from their shorter-eared cousins up until just recently. The burros could get a whole lot more support from the public. More legislation in support of their welfare should be put into place.
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It’s tough being merely cute when your cousin is tall and gorgeous.
We’ve found remarkable physical differences between wild burros living in Northern California and those in the Southwest. The differences are so profound, they seem to resemble each other only as far as ear length.
The Northern Cali. burros are generally dark and can be teddy-bear furry. The Southwest versions are grey or buff, slick-haired and bear ‘primitive’ dorsal and leg stripes. They are also leaner, and I believe a little taller.
But as much as wild horses need our attention, our wild burros need us double that. If you can imagine an 800,000 acre HMA…and a field office that stipulates this vast HMA can support only 160 burros.
That is the truth. And it defies logic.
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Habitat for Horses had a really interesting article “a Tale of Two Donkeys” a few days ago. Lots of information about their care & the difference between burros or donkeys & horses. Worth reading!
This whole PZP thing – I really disagree with it. The idea that they would use it on burros – stupid. Or maybe not – I guess preventing any reproduction will remove a reason for roundups – but then there wont be any horses or burros TO round up, will there? And after all – that seems to be the end result they are going for.
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“Managing for Extinction” Shortcomings of the Bureau of Land Management’s National Wild Horse and Burro Program by the Animal Welfare Institute
I read this a few years ago and just last week ordered a copy for myself. It will be the best $2 you will ever spend but you can also read it for free online here: https://thecloudfoundation.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/managing-for-extinction.pdf
https://awionline.org/store/catalog/animal-welfare-publications/wildlife/managing-extinction-shortcomings-bureau-land-mana
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Thank you, GrandmaGregg for sharing this wonderful read with us. I plan on getting actual copies — I agree — well worth the $2. I’m from Montana. I’m appalled at what former Senator Burns did. I’m glad I never voted for him. I hope that what activism I can offer will help the cause to undo what has been done. I have lots of sleepless nights after spending hours on my computer reading all that I can get my hands on to educate myself. You are all such wonderful people sharing the information that you have gathered with others. God Bless you all.
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Thank you for caring so much and for spending your time learning what is happening to our wild horses & burros.
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Does anyone else see through the HSUS/BLM (in bed with) Platero Project? They are experimenting on our wild burros with the pesticide known (collectively) as PZP which to my knowledge is NOT authorized to be used on burros.
“The immunocontraception vaccine commonly known as porcine zona pellucida (PZP) was registered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to manage wild horse populations on the range last year, but it has not yet been used by the BLM on burros. The Platero Project will assist in a long-term research project to determine the efficacy and cost-benefits of using PZP to manage wild burros on the range.” http://www.humanesociety.org/news/press_releases/2013/06/wild-burros-grant-project-launch-062513.html
So, it sounds like the BLM has provided the HSUS (Platero Project – of which Heidi Hopkins is in charge) with wild burros to experiment on?
Management for Extinction – our wild horses and our wild burros which are ALL legally PROTECTED.
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There are a number of folks who are being persuaded that the use of PZP on our wild horses is a good thing. It will be easy to add Burros without a peep from them other than to laud the action. We are being divided and it is scary. What can we do to stop the Heidi Hopkins, HSUS and get hold of the BLM?
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CRITICALLY ENDANGERED
http://americanherds.blogspot.com/2007/12/critically-endangered.html
While this may seem a little boring to those of us who merely love wild burros, its vital to understand the critical crisis wild asses face throughout the world today as all of the species cited above have been in some way listed as either Vulnerable, Threatened, Critically Endangered or possibly Extinct.
While this may seem a little boring to those of us who merely love wild burros, its vital to understand the critical crisis wild asses face throughout the world today as all of the species cited above have been in some way listed as either Vulnerable, Threatened, Critically Endangered or possibly Extinct.
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CRITICALLY ENDANGERED
http://americanherds.blogspot.com/2007/12/critically-endangered.html
While this may seem a little boring to those of us who merely love wild burros, its vital to understand the critical crisis wild asses face throughout the world today as all of the species cited above have been in some way listed as either Vulnerable, Threatened, Critically Endangered or possibly Extinct.
While this may seem a little boring to those of us who merely love wild burros, its vital to understand the critical crisis wild asses face throughout the world today as all of the species cited above have been in some way listed as either Vulnerable, Threatened, Critically Endangered or possibly Extinct.
While the BLM has been “managing” wild burro herds for over three decades, almost no studies have been compiled on wild burros in general or of their individual herds – they are just “lumped in” with wild horses on every level.
What limited historical data and studies has been done regarding wild burros has primarily been compiled by those interested in promoting big game species such as bighorn sheep who flourish in similar habitats as our own wild asses.
Needless to say, these “authoritative opinions” always finds wild burros a great threat to any species and habitat; no matter how many centuries wild burro herds have been documented in the area, totally naturalized and co-existing in harmony within those ecosystems.
In July 2000, Patricia Moehlman, Chairwoman of the Species Survival Commission and Equid Specialist for the World Conservation Union appealed to BLM to initiate more studies of our American wild asses in efforts to obtain relevant information for critically endangered asses throughout the world.
However, the BLM had just released their “Strategy to Achieve and Manage Wild Burros at Appropriate Management Levels” in June of 2000, which authorized wild burro populations to be slashed nationally by at least 66%, despite their “federally protected status” – Dr. Moehlmans appeal for help was ignored. (1)
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Critically Endangered
http://americanherds.blogspot.com/2007/12/critically-endangered.html
While studies on wild asses stated their reproduction rate was only 4% in good years,
the BLM has applied their “wild horse reproduction rate” of 20% per year (also in serious question) to wild burros as well.
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Reblogged this on hocuspocus13 and commented:
jinxx ♣ xoxo
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It makes me sooooooo sick to my stomach that so many in officialdom seem to think they are wiser and more experienced in “nature” than Nature!
Leave the poor, blaster animals alone!!!
The small-time farmer/rancher had very few problems with their existence. So, WHY continue coddling to the big-moneied folks??? – “Because they can???” – So WHAT!
Those animals belong where they are. They compete well, but compete by natural laws, with all other wildlife – without issue or problems.
They need to leave them the heck alone, and let them survive the way they do best – without “official” meddling.
– Rev. Dragon’s Eye
BTW: I quit supporting HSUS and many of the other fraudulent “animal-rights/welfare” groups long ago. They obviously know very little about actual biology and natural diversity, and they are more concerned with money and power.
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You have probably already looked at this but here is the link to the HSUS 2013 990 tax form. Total assets $214,549,879
Wayne Pacelle salary that year was $ 356,305 with additional $ 44,376 “other compensation”.
The tax form shows the HSUS has a $ 26,000,000 “investment” in Central America & Caribbean. Guatemala is in Central America and Guatemala is where the BLM/HSUS was planning on sending hundreds of our wild burros. Coincidence? Maybe or maybe not, but I would like to know what this HSUS $ 26 million investment is.
Click to access 2013-hsus-form-990.pdf
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And WAIT A MINUTE!
These “non-profits” are not supposed to be investing anything outside of these united states, especially when it serves against their main mission.
The next thing to look at, is their corporate charter, and their “mission statement”. I’ll be willing to bet they have continuously violated all the provisions and statements (“bylaws”) they have set in paper!
What a cryin’ shame! AND our animals always suffer in the end. There should be a stolid (yes, I said “stolid”) grassroots campaign to completely strip them of their 501(c)3 non-profit status, and have them vigorously-investigated for corruption and fraud under the R.I.C.O. Act, among others. This is an absolute disgrace.
– Rev. Dragon’s Eye
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To respond to you on this—
From a letter I wrote to Karen Sussman of ISPMB last year—
The Humane Society was begun with a clear, and unequivocal mandate in 1955, and Pacelle uses these words, ironically, in many of his pleas for donations to members—of which I was one till recently.
Robert Chenoweth, then chairman of the board, said at The HSUS’s first annual meeting in 1955, the humane movement “needed a national society that would stand, absolutely, on humane moral principles—an organization that would unequivocally, vigorously, adamantly oppose any and every kind of cruelty, no matter by whom committed and without concern for who might be offended or alienated.”
In writing to HSUS, I emphasize this FAILURE to expose, one that is not nearly so difficult politically for them to do when it comes to animal fighting or puppy mills.—
As in this communication to the Humane Society regarding never SHOWING the images of wild horse round-ups and incarceration.
“Many of your members and the larger public are deeply offended by your failure to call the BLM on what it does, and the HSUS becomes draped in the costume of deceit and begging for funds at every turn while it ignores what is really difficult in our government agency, the Bureau of Land Management.
Deplorable is the best term for this.” Abraham Lincoln characterized your timidity best—“To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards out of men”
The Humane Society’s staff have written some of the most patronizing, appeasement filled platitudes about the aims, “improvements” and “culture” of the BLM that I have ever read from a so-called animal protection organization. Two years ago, Holly Hazard told me that “hysterical” condemnation of the helicopter round-ups, deaths and injuries would simply “become noise to the BLM” and they “would become rigid and unresponsive” if advocates did not allow the HSUS to be the main interlocutor in dealing with reforms and policy.
It has become abundantly clear that the diplomatic dance this hugely funded organization is playing in Washington and behind the scenes with the BLM is corrupt and they simply do almost nothing to tell the little old ladies and men responding to the pleading eyes of puppies what is occurring in the far West with the monies of taxpayers.
We are not all going to bow to this model of who should be the mouth piece.
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Thank you, Susan.
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You are welcome…. Susan
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What a shame that HSUS has not done all the good it could have and helped our wild horses survive. There TV ads are expensive too but must pay off.
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Today was a huge day. The FBi decided to get much stricter in their prosecutions of animal abusers. And a couple of days ago Gov. Ducey or AZ vetoed the bill that would have taken horses and livestock out of the definition of “animals” in their anti-cruelty laws. That is two giant steps in the right direction. And the argument about PZP is out there everywhere. That IMHO is good news.
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That IS good news! Thanks for sharing it with us.
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The Humane Society of the United States isn’t lifting a finger to save wild horses and burros yet they still feel the need to demand that the toxic pesticide PZP be used on them to stop them from reproducing and ultimately render them infertile. Maybe they should look up the meaning of “humane.” Our native mustangs and burros are being driven to extinction so ranchers and other special interests can steal our public land. Another epic fail for the (non)HSUS!
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