March 24, 2001

BLM Investigates Shooting of 6 Wild Horses in southeastern Nevada.

Scott Sonner
Associated Press

RENO, Nevada — Six wild horses were shot to death and a week-old foal was left orphaned last week on a remote stretch of federal land in the southeast Nevada desert, federal investigators said Friday. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) posted a $2000 reward for information leading to the person or persons responsible for the illegal killing of the horses in Lincoln County.

The six horses found on BLM land about 8 miles west of U.S. Hwy 93 apparently were shot last weekend, BLM spokeswoman Maxine Shane said. Investigators have no suspects at the current time and are urging the public to come forward with any information about people in the area last weekend, she said. The bodies were found near Pony Springs, not far from Panaca near the Utah border about 100 miles northeast of Las Vegas. The foal was found alive next to its dead mother, Shane said. A rancher found the dead horses and notified the BLM's field office in Ely, Shane said. The body of a 7th horse also was discovered at the scene, but it was badly decomposed and not related to the shootings, she said.

The BLM also is continuing to investigate the shooting of 37 wild horses in southwest Wyoming in December and January but the cases are not believed to be related. BLM law enforcement will turn over any evidence to the Justice Department for possible prosecution, Shane said. The BLM typically investigates about one case a year of wild horse shootings in Nevada, she said. Killing a wild horse is a violation of the federal Wild Free Roaming Horse and Burro Act, punishable by up to a $2000 fine and a year in prison, or both, for each count.