US judge may suspend mustang roundup in Nevada; suit pending

By SCOTT SONNER
Associated Press

RENO, Nev. (AP) — A federal judge is considering temporarily suspending the capture of wild horses in Nevada where their advocates say the federal government is  “needlessly and recklessly” killing free-roaming mustangs in violation of U.S. laws. The judge in Reno says she expects to rule by Monday, maybe sooner, on the horse advocates’ request for an emergency court order pending another hearing to learn more about the potential danger of roundup near the Utah state line. The Bureau of Land Management insists it must gather the mustangs before the end of February. It’s one of several scheduled on an expedited basis across the West as a result of severe drought.