Wild horses might be killed

Federal officials are considering euthanizing wild horses to deal with the growing population on the range and in holding pens, authorities said.

Wild horses have overpopulated public lands and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management can’t afford to care for the mustangs that have been rounded up, Henri Bisson, the agency’s deputy director, said in Reno. Also, fewer people are adopting the horses, he said.

The agency is also considering whether to stop roundups to save money.

There are an estimated 33,000 wild horses on the range in 10 Western states, Bisson said, and 27,000 is the maximum the agency can handle. An additional 30,000 are in holding facilities.