FILLMORE — The Bureau of Land Management is investigating the killing of a wild horse on public lands west of Delta.
After responding to a call from a local resident about a dead horse, program specialists from the BLM Utah Fillmore Field Office found a wild horse in the Swasey Herd Management Area that had been shot and killed with a small-caliber gun, according to a press release issued by the BLM Monday.
“Harassing, capturing or killing wild horses is illegal,” Kevin Oliver, West Desert district manager, said, as quoted in the press release. “The 1971 Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burro Act protects these animals, and the BLM is committed to enforcing the act and finding those responsible.”
Several leads are being pursued by investigators, but the BLM invites additional information from the public.
The National Mustang Association, a wild horse advocacy group based in Cedar City, is offering a $2,000 reward, in conjunction with the BLM, for information leading to the identification and conviction of those responsible for the horse’s death.
The horse that was killed was a 14-year-old palomino stud, the press release said. The animal was found dead near Middle Pond in the Swasey Herd Management Area.
Anyone with information relating to this case is asked to call BLM Law Enforcement at 801-539-4082.
Violations of the 1971 Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burro Act are punishable by a fine of up to $2,000, a year in prison, or both, according to the press release.
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