Advertisement

Alberta’s wild horses will undergo DNA testing to determine origin

Alberta wild horses
FILE: Horses graze on the Eden Valley Reserve, Alta., on Aug. 25, 2011. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

RED DEER, Alta. – Modern science is going to be used to help determine the origin of about 900 wild horses that roam in east-central Alberta.

A project is underway to collect DNA from horses on the Eastern Slopes to try to find out if they are unique.

Breaking news from Canada and around the world sent to your email, as it happens.

The government argues that the horses don’t deserve special protection because they are feral – descendants of domestic horses.

But horse activists argue the animals may be native to the province.

Some say they should be allowed to roam free without annual culling permitted by the government.

The group Help Alberta Wildies says it might get the government to rethink its approach if the horse DNA can find some rare-breed background.

READ MORE: Protesters rally against plan to capture Alberta’s wild horses

-Red Deer Advocate

Advertisement

Sponsored content

AdChoices