The Cloud Foundation and Front Range Equine Rescue filed a federal lawsuit in July against the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service citing the agencies with neglect in protecting “Cloud’s herd,” a famous wild horse herd in the Pryor Mountains of Montana.The two Colorado nonprofits have charged that the BLM has violated the 1971 Wild Free Roaming Horse and Burro Act, which allows the nonprofits access to the wild horses. The U.S. Forest Service has refused access to the horses.The court filing occurred as a result of the BLM ignoring public and written comments and announcing they will bring the herd to non-genetically viable numbers of fewer than 100. The immediate plan calls for the removal this summer of 22 age-specific horses as well as continuing a method of birth control on mares over age 11 (PZP darting).”BLM seems committed to using this herd as a “living laboratory” for experimentation of wild horse herds in the West,” said Ginger Kathrens, executive director of The Cloud Foundation.Cloud’s herd became famous when Emmy award-winning filmmaker Ginger Kathrens documented the stallion’s birth and development into young adulthood through two films that aired on the PBS Nature series (“Cloud: Wild Stallion of the Rockies” and “Cloud’s Legacy: The Wild Stallion Returns”).”Cloud’s herd is symbolic of the systematic destruction of all wild horse herds. If we don’t take strong action now, we will lose an integral part of our American heritage,” added Hilary Wood, president of Front Range Equine Rescue.For more information, contact Ginger Kathrens, The Cloud Foundation; 719-633-3842, ginger@thecloudfoundation.org or Hilary Wood, president/founder, Front Range Equine Rescue at 719-481-1490, info@frontrangeequinerescue.org.
