ELY, Nev. (KTNV) — The Bureau of Land Management’s reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for shooting and mortally wounding five wild horses in eastern Nevada in late 2021 is now $25,000, courtesy of a $5,000 reward from Wild Horse Education.
The BLM’s original award of $5,000 was matched last September by another group’s commitment and matched again a month later by another organization.
“It is our hope that adding to the reward will bring the subject back into the public eye and lead to information that can resolve this disturbing matter,” said Laura Leigh, president of Wild Horse Education.
The BLM continues the investigation into the incident which occurred in mid-November 2021 in Jakes Valley, about 30 miles west of Ely, Nev.
BLM Criminal Investigator Michael Mortensen said, “the BLM investigates and prosecutes the killings of wild horses as part of the agency's enforcement of the Wild Horse and Burro Act of 1971. Our investigation is seeking additional information from the public to identify further leads and ultimately the person(s) responsible. Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact us by calling the BLM crime hotline.”
PREVIOUS: BLM offers $5K reward for information about horse shootings in Jakes Valley
On November 16, 2021, the BLM Ely District, Bristlecone Field Office was contacted by a member of the public who had discovered five mortally wounded wild horses in Jakes Valley, approximately two miles south of U.S. Highway 50. The remains were located within 600 yards of each other. An aborted fetus was attached to one of the dead animals. One horse was still alive but wounded so severely that it had to be humanely euthanized. A necropsy revealed that the animals ranged in age from about 18 months to six years. The horses were killed on or about the day they were reported.
Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to call the BLM crime hotline at 1-775-861-6550.
