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Special Sunset Edition

 

Good evening, readers! We've got a special evening edition of The Sunriser hot off the presses. Why? First, we have a major update to Jen Brown's July 30 story (link) on CSU's bid to perform a controversial spaying technique on wild horses (full story below).

Elsewhere, The Colorado Sun has been featured (twice!) on public radio today:

For those interested in helping us find that model, we do have a page where you can buy an early membership with The Sun. (Note: we've had some issues with that page loading slowly, so if you don't succeed in submitting your contribution, please try again and let me know. You won't be charged unless you see a thank you message).

We have even more exclusive reporting — and a very big announcement — coming your way tomorrow morning, but now, let's get to Jen's update.

Eric J. Lubbers, Newsletter Wrangler

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CSU ends bid to help BLM sterilize wild horses in the field

 

 
Wild horses gather in a canyon in the Book Cliff range north of Grand Junction in this May, 1, 2006, file photo. (William Woody, Special to The Colorado Sun)

By Jennifer Brown, The Colorado Sun
jennifer@coloradosun.com

 

Colorado State University is withdrawing from a controversial research project with the Bureau of Land Management that called for rounding up wild horses by helicopter and then removing their ovaries.

The university’s vice president for research made the announcement via email Wednesday night, about a week after the end of a 30-day public comment period. It is the second time the Bureau of Land Management has attempted the sterilization project. Two years ago, similar plans with Oregon State University’s veterinary school fell through following protests and legal challenges from wild horse advocacy groups.

“An important component of every research process is to engage in rigorous discussion and evaluation with our own experts as well as experts from outside of the university and listening to the concerns of the larger community as we bring these innovations forward,” the statement from CSU’s Alan Rudolph said. “The decision to withdraw was made with the support of our involved researchers.”

The Colorado Sun first wrote about the proposal last week. Read the story here.

University spokeswoman Dell Rae Ciaravola said CSU would not provide further information about what specifically caused the university to withdraw.

Wild horse advocates had called the surgical sterilization of horses in the field  inhumane and intended to kick off a letter-writing campaign just as students returned to CSU this month.

Even though CSU researchers will not participate in the BLM project, which proposed removing the ovaries of about 100 wild mares in Oregon using an instrument with a wire loop similar to a chain, the university remains “committed to exploring this important animal welfare concern,” Rudolph wrote.

“Wild horse and burro overpopulation is a critical animal welfare issue that must be solved through objective, collaborative and transparent research,” he said. “We will continue to pursue alternatives that address wildlife welfare issues, leaving the door open to our future work.”

Read an explanation of why researchers decided to target mares, rather than stallions here.


 
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