The wild horses of the Bronson Forest will be legally protected, thanks to a private members bill has passed in the Saskatchewan Legislature.
Members voted unanimously to pass Bill 606, An Act to Protect the Wild Ponies of the Bronson Forest, about 170 kilometres north of Lloydminster.
Lloydminster MLA Tim McMillan said he was proud of the members for voting to pass a bill that will help to preserve an important part of the province’s heritage.
“This motion transcends political views and I am proud that the members voted with their hearts, not down party lines,” he said.
In 2005, about 125 wild horses were living in the Bronson Forest, located in Saskatchewan near the Saskatchewan-Alberta border.
Currently, the forest is home to about 37 horses, with an estimated survival rate among colts of about 24 percent.
The issue of the horses’ depleting numbers was brought to McMillan’s attention by rancher Bob Hougham.
Houghman presented McMillan with photos of wild horses that had been shot and killed in the forest. McMillan took Hougham’s concerns to the legislature.
“For many years to come, I want families … to be able to visit the Bronson Forset and see these wild majestic creatures with their own eyes,” said McMillan.
“These magnificent wild animals will continue to roam free and hopefully, with this new protection, they will also flourish in the future.”
