Wild horse capture controlled by Alberta government not RCMP

The RCMP says it will not be involved in the capture of about sixty feral horses in the Ghost Equine Zoneeast of Banff National Park.

Earlier this week, Alberta'sEnvironment and Sustainable Resourcessaid the police force would be in charge of contracting wranglers to round up the horses.

The department now says it will organize the capture, and will photograph and "freeze brand" them in case they get into the wild again.

The wranglers will be looking for younger animals because they are more likely to be adopted.

Controversy over capture

TheWild Horses Society of Alberta still gets the first opportunity to takeany remaining captured horses that would goup for auction.

The province estimates that there are just under 900 of theanimals in the foothills of theRocky Mountains and that is having a damaging effect on grasslands shared by livestock and wildlife.

There are opponents to theplan who say thehorses should be considered part of Alberta's cowboy heritage.

The provincial government, however, says they are not a native breed but descendants of horses once used in the logging and mining industry more than 100years ago.