Tribune file/Debra Reid - A band of wild mares and colts graze in the hills above Reno on Sunday, June 13, 2004. Ranchers and wildlife officials claim wild horses consume too much of the forage needed for cattle and wildlife.
Nevada Department of Agriculture officials are praising the move, saying the estray horses up for auction are separate from and not subject to the federal protections afforded wild-roaming horses.
The horses are believed to be strays or descendants of horses abandoned by private owners over the years.
Pickens, the wife of oil tycoon T. Boone Pickens, is among donors who are putting up money for the purchase of the horses at the Fallon auction.
Activists say such horses usually end up at slaughterhouses in Canada or Mexico before their meat is sold in Europe and Asia.
Post a Comment