On Tuesday 15th February 2011, BBC Spotlight and the Western Morning News covered a story about the deaths of ponies on Bodmin Moor. Equine charity South West Equine Protection (SWEP) say that they have found 5 dead ponies on the moor in the last 3 weeks and that there are 3 emaciated ponies that need help.
In the SWEP press release, which contains shocking images of ponies they have found on the moor, they say that the local authorities have not been responding to the situation. They state that they contacted the relevant authorities with this information and were told that "Defra Animal Health and Trading Standards had no concerns over the welfare of the ponies on this common". The authorities now say they are investigating the case, but they find it difficult to identify the owners of the ponies on the moor.
BBC Spotlight story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/cornwall/hi/people_and_places/nature/newsid_9398000/9398134.stm
Western Morning News front page:
http://www.thisisdevon.co.uk/news/Charity-claims-moorland-ponies-8216-left-starve-owners-8217/article-3222849-detail/article.html
SWEP press release:
http://www.swep.org.uk/press-release-east-moor-bodmin/
