Wild horses in Theodore Roosevelt National Park / NPS

Earlier this month, officials at North Dakota's Theodore Roosevelt National Park began the process of rounding up hundreds of bison and feral horses. The plan was to gather the 200 or so horses in the park, give them a once over by a medical staff, and administer a contraceptive to the mares. Those mares that received the contraceptive in the past, but which remained fertile and have since foaled, were to be removed from the park, along with their offspring, a total of 15 horses. Concerned groups that advocate for the protection of the wild horse herd sent around a petition in support of leaving the horses alone. The town of Medora, North Dakota, a gateway community to the park, even passed a town ordinance arguing the horses should stay. 

The National Park Service recently announced they wouldn't be removing the 15 horses after all. “At this time, we have determined that no horses will be excessed in this year’s effort," park officials said in a statement. "Although we are not removing horses at this time, the horse herd population will likely be less than it is today in the future to ensure a healthy herd that is manageable based on the park’s natural resources.”

The National Park Service didn't respond to our request for clarification about why the horses weren't removed according to plan.

Management of the herd has long been controversial.

Park officials are trying to limit the growth of the herd, citing damage to the ecosystem and threats to native species from the non-native horses. Advocates for the horses insist they're part of the park's fabric, are in a suitable habitat for horses they've inhabited for over 200 years, and therefore they deserve to stay.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park once considered removing all of the horses. But this past spring, Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D, added a bit of legislation in the annual Interior and Environment budget bill that Congress passed and President Joe Biden signed that essentially secures a herd of some kind in the park, though how large the herd ultimately should be is contentious. Park Superintendent Angie Richman has indicated that if the horses are allowed to roam the park forever, the herd would still have to be reduced to 35 to 60 animals under a 1978 environmental assessment.