25 wild horse foals die at federal facility. What killed them?

Veterinarians investigating the death of 25 wild horse foals held at a federal facility near Susanville believe they suffered from colitis, an inflammation of the colon. The foals, all born in captivity at Bureau of Land Management corrals in Litchfield, were from mares gathered in September 2016 from the Devil’s Garden Wild Horse Territory on the Modoc National Forest, said Jeff Fontana, a BLM spokesman. Early this month, BLM wranglers noticed signs of a flu-like illness in some horses, all of which were housed in a single pen. They consulted with a veterinarian and treated the symptoms, but the condition of the foals gradually worsened, said Fontana, who reported the deaths Tuesday. None of the other 300 mustangs in the main pastures of the corrals have shown any signs of illness, he said...more