Abstract
Fossil evidence dating back over 50 million years suggests that the domestic horse, Equus caballus, both originated in and co-evolved with its habitat in North America. A mass extirpation occurred on the continent some 10,000 years ago. Their absence endured until Europeans reintroduced the domesticated horse into this ecological niche approximately 500 years ago. This complex history has resulted in an on-going controversy over whether the domestic horse is an exotic species, deserving the title ‘feral,’ or one that is ‘native,’ having been re-introduced after a long absence. In 1895, over 42,000 feral horses reportedly inhabited southern Alberta. As of March 2017, there were 1202 feral horses counted in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains of Alberta, Canada by Alberta Environment and Parks (AEP), a number that represents another controversy that is also centuries old.Management of feral horses in Alberta by trapping and culling has a history dating back to the 1950s and remains the only management strategy being used, as permitted under the Stray Animals Act’s Horse Capture Regulations. In 2015, mounting public pressure for more ‘socially licensable’ management solutions led to the creation of a 5-year memorandum of understanding (MOU) between a community-run organization and the AEP. The goal of the MOU was to explore and test immuno-contraception, along with individual capture and adoption, as an alternative management strategy.Three and a half years into the MOU, we have encountered many difficulties in the implementation of immune-contraception in the foothills, including flight zones, access, topography, and environmental conditions. This talk will outline our current knowledge of the available contraceptive tools, lessons learned, successes, failures, and limitations, and will introduce the innovative ecological work currently underway, the outcomes sought, and how those outcomes may define future management strategies for the feral horses of Alberta.