Currently, the 180 #horses who reside in the #TRNP are managed by a 1978 #EnvironmentAssessment .

While a new management plan is needed, the NPS’s plan is not acceptable as it proposes six alternatives that range from limiting the herd to an unsustainable 35-60 #WildHorses to eliminating both the wild horse and #livestock herds altogether.

2/11

The Theodore Roosevelt #horses have roamed the badlands for centuries, and many believe they are descendants of Sitting Bull’s horses and related to the rare Nokota breed.

Yet the NPS classifies the wild horses as “livestock” even though it provides no care for them – as it does for the longhorn cattle – and the horses fend for themselves alongside the #bison, #elk, and other wildlife.

3/11

Worse yet, despite scientific evidence showing that wild horses are a #native species, the NPS refers to them as an invasive or non-native species.

The Theodore Roosevelt wild horses deserve better! Moving forward, the #NPS must adopt a management plan that uses current science and herd data to keep the number of #WildHorses large enough to have a healthy breeding population and maintain vital bloodlines – this means a minimum of 150 horses.

4/11

Instead of using #GonaCon, it must also implement a #FertilityControl program with #PZP that has a 35-year history of being #reversible and #safe even for pregnant #mares.

Although the Theodore Roosevelt #WildHorses are not protected under the 1971 #WildHorsesAndBurrosAct , they’re a significant part of the historical and natural #heritage of the park and the state. Equally important, they’re a huge tourism draw for #NorthDakota.

5/11

Now is the time to weigh in for #HumaneManagement and fair treatment of the historic Theodore Roosevelt wild horses.

While the National Park Service (#NPS) is preparing the LMP, it must stop all #roundups and removals of the horses and the use of fertility control.

Additionally, an Environmental Analysis (#EA) should consider and analyze the following alternatives:

6/11

- Change the designation of the TR horses from “livestock” to “wildlife.” The NPS has never explained why they’re designated as livestock and doesn’t acknowledge paleontological evidence and mitochondrial DNA analysis supporting the fact that wild horses are a reintroduced #NativeSpecies to this continent.

-Set a minimum herd size of 150 #horses to ensure a genetically viable herd, as recommended by  Dr. Gus Cothran, an equine geneticist, for all wild horse herds in the #US .

7/11

- If “new blood” needs to be brought into the herd, introduce horses who are historically significant to the TRNP and prioritize the #Nokota horses.  A 2018 study from Texas A&M found that the historic herd is at risk of inbreeding and recommended introducing new mares and changing removal strategies to preserve genetics and lineages.

8/11

- Given concerns about its potential for permanent sterilization and injection site abscesses, eliminate the use of #GonaCon for the fertility control program. When administering any fertility control program, the NPS must consider the herd’s genetics and bloodlines as well as the safety of mares. Instead of GonaCon, the NPS should implement a fertility control program using #PZP that has been proven to be reversible and safe for the mare.

9/11