Helicopter Chasing Wild Horses-Calico (Photo © Cat Kindsfather)

In all time zones, email, fax or call your senators and representatives to let them know that “Old Gold”, an American wild horse was rounded up near Gerlach, Nevada on November 19th and euthanized later by the BLM because of being old. At the trap site she was traumatized, slammed into a metal panel and was surely injured. Explain that BLM is not counting her death as a roundup-related death. Tell them Old Gold is an example BLM’s poor accountability and using tax dollars for animal cruelty. Remind them that Congress gives BLM  $75 million annually for this broken program. Ask Congress to stop the Calico roundup and freeze all others until an independent, accurate headcount is made and a sustainable manage plan proves that more wild horses and burros need to be removed to have thriving natural ecological balance (TNEB).

“The roundups in the Ruby Pipeline zone are questionable,” states Katie Fite, biologist and biodiversity specialist. “The public is not being told the truth. There needs to be an investigation within all levels of BLM considering the unavoidable damage to our public lands. There is no mitigation provided for to restore this biologically wild, remote, and untrammeled landscape in northwestern Nevada and southeastern Oregon.”

We see TNEB in Calico except for industrialization and right of way projects like the Ruby Pipeline. Wild horses and burros are not the problem. Be sure to let YOUR representatives in government know how you feel.

RIP Old Gold.