Chief Investigative Reporter George Knapp Reports for Channel 8 News
LAS VEGAS — The contractor for the Bureau of Land Management is denying they are intentionally keeping wild horse advocates from observing roundups.
Sue Cattoor speaking to her "hurt feelings" on camera 9/9/09 - Photo by R.T. Fitch
A federal judge ordered the BLM to give Laura Leigh access to a roundup at the Tuscarora Herd Area in northern Nevada. But Leigh says the BLM denied her access anyway by basing the roundup on private land.
Leigh has re-filed a contempt of court case, saying the BLM is violating the order by doing that.
The contractor for that roundup, Sue Cattoor, says it’s only coincidence they end up on private land and they are doing what is best for the horses.
“The trap was not moved after the order was lifted. I’ll explain why the trap was put where it was on the private ground: we always try to put the trap the closest to the, as close to the horses as we can, but also where they are going to go naturally so we don’t have to put a lot of pressure on them,” she said.
Cattoor also said that foals died during a roundup in the Owyhee Herd Management Area because they drank too much water when they were taken off the range.
“A foal that comes in on it’s mom should not be thirsty, but these ones were thirsty and I would say 90-percent just dove their head in the bucket and drank something,” she said. “There is no way you can control how much you can give a wild horse.”
The BLM recently gathered more than 600 wild horses as part of the Tuscarora Roundup. At least 34 died and many will soon be available for adoption.
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