A private members bill recently passed in Saskatchewan ensures the safety of wild horses in the Bronson Forest.
On Nov. 26, members of the legislature voted unanimously to pass Bill 606, An Act to Protect the Wild Ponies of the Bronson Forest.
“The members of this house made a decision today that will preserve an important part of our province’s heritage,” said Lloydminster MLA Tim McMillan.
The Bronson Forest is about 170 kilometres north of Lloydminster.
McMillan introduced Bill 606 on Nov. 5, after he was told about the horses’ declining numbers.
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Bob Hougham, a rancher in the Bronson Forest area, presented McMillan with photos depicting the shot, killed and abandoned carcasses of some of the ponies.
McMillan brought the matter into the legislature in the form of a private members bill, hoping it would be the best and quickest way to address the problem.
“For many years to come, I want families … to be able to visit the Bronson Forest and see these majestic creatures with their own eyes,” said McMillan.
In 2005, about 125 wild ponies were living in the Bronson Forest, near the Saskatchewan-Alberta border.
Today, the forest is home to less than 40 ponies, with a survival rate among colts of 24 percent.
These low numbers prompted the government to provide legal protection for the animals.
“These magnificent wild animals will continue to roam free and hopefully, with this new protection, they will also flourish in the future,” McMillan said.
