25 wild horse foals, which were born in captivity at Bureau of Land Management (BLM) corrals in Litchfield, CA, recently passed away. Veterinarians are researching the deaths, and initial test results indicate that the foals died from colitis, which is an inflammation of the colon.
Blood and tissue samples have been taken, and results from testing those samples are expected within the next few days.
The foals were all born to mares collected in September 2016 from the Devil’s Garden Wild Horse Territory on the Modoc National Forest. A total of 221 horses were gathered during that roundup. More than 100 of the horses were adopted, and around 50 mares were given a birth control drug and released back into the herd's territory.
BLM wranglers had noticed flu-like symptoms in some horses in one of the pens earlier this month. Despite talking to a veterinarian and treating the symptoms, the condition of the foals continued to deteriorate. 300 mustangs in the main pastures of the corrals have not shown any signs of illness.
The corrals in Litchfield can hold as many as 1,000 horses. The horses are available for adoption under the 1971 Wild Horse and Burro Act.
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(H/T: The Sacramento Bee)
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