Diary of a First Time Wild Horse Stampede Observer, Part Three
It’s important to note the generosity that made this observation possible: a Horse & Burro Sanctuary, that offered both home and haven for the duration of this stay.
It’s important to note the generosity that made this observation possible: a Horse & Burro Sanctuary, that offered both home and haven for the duration of this stay.
Portland, OR (August 18, 2010)—The Stinkingwater wild horse herd of Southeastern Oregon is slated for a near complete removal in a summer helicopter roundup scheduled to begin today. Concerned citizens in Oregon and across the country have been calling for a stop to this unnecessary and costly action.
We have spent so much time addressing the inequities, injustices and cruelties surrounding the roundups, we sometimes forget to notice there is a beauty within all this ugliness, the reasons why we fight the fight.
Arriving at the Litchfield Holding Facility at around 6:00 a.m., just before dawn, we were briefed by ‘Jeff’, a uniformed BLM representative on the rules of conduct. Most pointed: Disruptions or jeopardizing of safety would discontinue regular observation day. This was punctuated by 3 armed Law Enforcement officers; one, wore a Kevlar vest.
Park rangers say using helicopters to round up wild horses in California is humane and necessary. But animal rights activists tell Channel 4 News’s Sarah Smith the practice is barbaric.
Sacramento, CA (August 13, 2010)—The body of a wild horse foal was found near the site of the Twin Peaks roundup Wednesday by Craig Downer, wildlife ecologist and Cloud Foundation Board member, and Christy Davis, wild horse advocate. Davis, an experienced horse woman, examined the foal for any broken bones. What she found was an apparent rope burn on a rear leg as well as a gunshot wound.
HOUSTON – (SFTHH) The BLM’s much contested Twin Peaks stampede began amidst a cloud of controversy on August 11th in Northeastern California. The aerial assault is scheduled to last 6 weeks with a total of 2,000 wild horses and burros set to be placed behind bars to endure a lifetime of imprisonment and potential sterility. Setting the stage paranoid BLM officials over reacted by calling in county Sheriff Deputies and Federal Rangers in the advent that a passive equine welfare advocate might “do something” to disrupt the roar of helicopter blades and stampeding horses. Much to their chagrin, nothing happened.
San Francisco, Calif. (August 10, 2010) – Today, as the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals denied a motion to stop the roundup of half of all California wild horses, plaintiffs in the lawsuit are joining more than 54 members of Congress who are calling on the Obama Administration to halt the government roundup. Over 2,000 wild horses and 200 burros will be removed from the Twin Peaks Herd Management Area in northeastern California by helicopter stampede scheduled to begin on Wednesday, August 11, 2010.
HOUSTON (SFTHH) – Yesterday, a federal appeals court rejected a plea to stop a planned Bureau of Land Management (BLM) roundup stampede of thousands of wild horses and burros in Northern California.
In recent months, many Members of Congress have received e-mails, letters and phone calls from wild horse activists. These activists are waging an aggressive campaign, both in the federal courts and in the court of public opinion, that is aimed at stopping the Bureau of Land Management from gathering wild horses and burros from overpopulated herds on Western public rangelands.
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