Across the open landscapes of Nevada, wild horses are meant to live free. Right now, many are being chased, captured, and lost in the name of an “emergency.”

On January 26, 2026, the Bureau of Land Management began an emergency helicopter roundup in the Snowstorm Mountain and Little Humboldt Herd Management Areas. In just days, 154 wild horses were captured. Seven are already dead. No horses have been released. No fertility control was used. Every animal was removed from the land they rely on to survive.

For animal lovers, this is devastating.

Helicopter roundups are widely criticized because they cause extreme stress and fear. Horses are driven for miles, families are separated, and injuries and deaths are treated as acceptable outcomes. Declaring an emergency does not justify putting animals through terror and risk, especially when they have no voice of their own.

The BLM says the roundup is necessary due to poor body condition following wildfire. But forcing already stressed animals into dangerous removals only adds trauma. Humane management should focus on care and support on the range, not rushed roundups that end in confinement or death.

Wild horses are protected under the Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971. They belong to the American public. That means their treatment should reflect basic compassion, transparency, and respect for life.

We are calling on the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Department of the Interior, including Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, to immediately pause emergency helicopter roundups and commit to humane, science based alternatives. Protecting wild horses should never come at the cost of their lives.

Wild horses represent freedom and resilience. Allowing them to suffer and die in panic driven operations is not who we are.

If you believe animals deserve care, not cruelty, please add your name and speak up for America’s wild horses.