Alberta is facing an unprecedented population surge of free-roaming “feral horses” across its eastern slopes, with a recent provincial survey counting over 2,000 wild horses—the highest ever recorded. The government considers these horses stray animals rather than wildlife and has declared population levels in several zones, including Sundre, Ghost River, Elbow, and Clearwater, as “unacceptable” due to ecological concerns. To manage the population, Alberta’s 2023 feral horse management framework includes strategies such as removal from the wild, adoption programs, and contraception for mares, with licensed capture and sales in zones exceeding population thresholds.

However, the accuracy of the government’s population data, especially in the Sundre zone, is disputed by the Help Alberta Wildies Society, an advocacy group that conducts its own aerial surveys and reports significantly lower numbers. The group argues that the government’s reported population increase is biologically implausible and campaigns for the horses to be recognized as a naturalized wild species rather than stray animals. Despite opposition from some ranchers and advocacy groups, the Alberta government maintains it aims to keep feral horses on the landscape, emphasizing protections against poaching and illegal captures, and is seeking federal approval to use contraception as a population control measure.