PENTICTON, BC — Feral horses are an ongoing problem in the south Okanagan.
They can be seen grazing on people’s lawn and sometimes wander along the highway, posing a threat to motorists.
That’s where one young filly found herself last week, when she was struck by a vehicle on Highway 97 just south of Penticton.
Theresa Nolet is nearly moved to tears at the sight of the horse lying in the ditch Monday afternoon, three days after the filly had been killed.
“It’s heart-wrenching,” says Nolet, who is a former member of a horse rescue society.
A Ministry of Transportation contractor removed the carcass later that day.
The Penticton Indian Band (PIB) and Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) have been working collaboratively to tackle the feral horse issue.
She adds that the latest incident is another reason why they are working on a long-term management plan, which includes horse contraceptives and herd control.
PIB councillor, Dolly Kruger, says this problem is also happening on other BC reserves. But she believes the PIB may be the only band that’s closely working with a local government.
The RDOS presented this issue to the Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation at last week’s Union of BC Municipalities convention, hoping receive financial support from the BC government to solve the feral horse problem.
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