Who Is Killing Arizona’s Wild Horses?

Thirteen more wild horses shot dead since January after a 2022 massacre.

Wild horse advocate Dyan Albers Lowey walks away from a mass grave on Oct. 17, 2022. At least four Alpine wild horses are buried in the grave following the mass shooting of wild horses. Allan Stein/The Epoch Times

The U.S. Forest Service is investigating the shooting deaths of 13 wild horses in Arizona’s Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests.

The Forest Service told The Epoch Times by email that four horses were recently killed in the Black Mesa Ranger District. This comes after nine horses were found shot to death there in late January.

The horses had bullet wounds, showing they were shot. The Forest Service said necropsies were completed and all 13 were buried.

The incidents are still under investigation.

The Black Mesa Ranger District is part of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests in Arizona, which covers 2 million acres and includes much of the Mogollon Rim and Heber Wild Horse Territory. The district spans roughly 20,000 acres.

The horses in the Heber Wild Horse Territory are not classified as feral or unauthorized livestock. Estimates suggest there are 200 to 300 horses, possibly more.