Wild horse roundups ramping up as drought grips the US West

By LINDSAY WHITEHURST and JAMES ANDERSON
Associated Press

TOOELE, Utah (AP) — Tens of thousands of wild horses roam the American West, their power and beauty a potent symbol of rugged freedom central to the mythology of the range. But the region is also in the clutches of a megadrought worsened by climate change, and federal land managers say there are far too many horses for the taxed ecosystem to handle. The Biden administration is planning to sharply increase roundups this year. But wild-horse advocates say land managers are using the drought as an excuse to make way for cattle that also affect the environment.