Rancher defends Alberta's wild horse capture

One of the ranchers given permits to capturewild horses says many people don't really understand what's being done or why.

The roundup the first of its kind in three years is facing a lot of opposition.

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Bryn Thiessen runs a ranch near Sundre and has a permit to catch wildhorses.

He knows the capture is not popular but believes it is part of a larger management plan that has to consider how the land is used by wildlife, livestock and local residents.

• Listen to his full interview on the Calgary Eyeopener below:

Thiessen says if he does manage to capture any,some could be turned loose, others could be adopted and some could wind up at a meat processing plant.

He also says he won't make any money from the licence and willbe lucky to break even.

The province estimatesthere are 980 wild horses near Sundrebased on an aerial survey done before the June floods and this year's harsh winter. That number is up from 853 the year before.

Provincial biologists have said in the past theydon't consider the feral animalstrue wildlifebecause theyare descendants of domestic horses used in logging and mining operations in the early 1900s.