The deadly assault on the West Country’s wild horse population appears to be continuing.
Wild Horses of Alberta Society president Bob Henderson had just returned home from two weeks photographing and admiring the beauty of the feral horses west of Sundre when he got more awful news.
One of the society’s members had found another carcass in the same area where about 20 horses were shot and killed and left to rot in 2007.
Henderson said he has not been able to contact the person who discovered the latest grisly find because he has been away, but he hopes to get more information soon.
Henderson questions the motives behind the string of killings. He wonders if it’s “somebody trying to rub our nose into it.
“Some of the attitudes you hear out there are still very backwoods, or very negative attitudes to creatures like the horses and stuff like that.”
Henderson was in the area where the latest horse was supposedly found, but he didn’t see anything amiss.
RCMP, Alberta Fish and Wildlife officers and the society are united in their efforts to find the culprits responsible for shooting the horses, which have made the Foothills their home. Sundre RCMP had no information on the latest incident on Wednesday.
Last month, a Crime Stoppers segment was filmed re-enacting the shooting of three horses, including a pregnant mare, about 60 km west of Sundre near Mountain-Aire Lodge. Henderson was there to help.
“We did that re-enactment and you just hope and pray that something will come out of it. Then you come back and you hear something like that.
“It’s pretty gut wrenching. Heartbreaking really is what it is. Somebody out there is just spiting everybody, including the RCMP.”
A reward of $21,000, including $10,000 from the Wild Horses Society, has been posted to encourage someone to come forward with information.
RCMP spokesman Sgt. Patrick Webb said the CrimeStoppers segment generated one direct tip and two others have also been called in to police.
“It’s hard to say right now how valuable they are,” he said, adding police are following up on the information.
“From our point of view, it was worth it to do the re-enactment, purely on the basis that we got even a few tips. We always liken it to a jigsaw puzzle. That one tip could be something we work on, get some information on and move towards a conclusion here.”
Webb said anyone with information is encouraged to call 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
pcowley@www.reddeeradvocate.com