$10,000 Reward - For Information on Wild Horse Shootings

By Robert WINKLER
The Desert Independent

January 10, 2010

The Bureau of Land Management is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for killing six wild horses found in northern Washoe County, Nevada, in early December.

BLM Director Bob Abbey said, “The BLM is very serious about enforcing the 1971 law protecting wild horses on the range. The Act very clearly states that it is a federal crime for any person to maliciously cause the death of any wild horse. BLM law enforcement is working closely with authorities in Washoe County to gather evidence and we are hopeful this reward will result in information leading us to the perpetrators of this crime.”

On December 5, 2009, a helicopter crew conducting a wild horse gather saw five mustang carcasses in one area and a sixth dead mustang about a half mile away from the others. BLM officials from the Surprise Field Office in Cedarville, Calif., recognized the dead mustangs belonging to a clan of horses known to roam the Buckhorn Herd Management Area.

BLM currently manages thousands of wild horses in accordance with the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971, which gives the agency a mandate to protect and manage the animals.

Persons providing information may choose to remain anonymous. Individuals with information about this incident are encouraged to contact BLM Special Agent William Taylor at (530) 601-6689.