The Colorado Communications Director for the BLM has announced that 19 wild horses have been found dead at the Canon City Wild Horse Inmate Program facility.
Wild horses on open range
The BLM is working with veterinarians including state and federal authorities to investigate the cause of the illnesses and deaths of 19 horses at the Canon City Wild Horse Inmate Program facility.
© 2012 by Carien Schippers
The BLM discovered dead horses in a pen on Dec. 3. Several other wild horses in the same pen exhibited signs of illness. The BLM is working with veterinarians including state and federal animal health authorities to investigate the cause of the illness.
Veterinarians have euthanized those horses in the most severe condition with a poor prognosis for recovery. Autopsies were performed on three of the dead horses at the facility, with additional horses and samples sent to the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at Colorado State University in Fort Collins.
“As a precaution, we have quarantined the facility and will not ship animals out this week,” said Fran Ackley, BLM Colorado Wild Horse and Bureau Program Lead. “We are working with a veterinarian to determine the cause of the illness and prevent any potential spread to other wild horses at the facility.”
There is no estimate of when the lab analysis will be completed. In addition to the autopsies, the BLM sent water and hay samples to a lab for testing. The horses and burros are currently being fed hay from a different source as a precaution.