Farmers revolted against activists and tourists making trips to mountains near West Bosnia to see wild horses.
Groups of wild horses racing and jumping across rocky mountains are becoming a big tourist attraction.
However, activists and tourists say the horses need protection from local farmers who view them as a threat.
The amount of horses in the Kruzi plateau region, at the bottom of the Cincar mountain, has significantly increased in the past 30 years.
A lot of owners sat free their horses into the wild.
For the past several years, aspiring activists have started to organize photo tours for tourists in the mountain near Livno town.
“The coronavirus pandemic has even boosted the arrivals, with Bosnians discovering Livno attractions due to travel restrictions,” said Marin Mamuza.
Mamuza opened a tourism agency that offers adventure tours in 2019.
She is a photographer and filmmaker, urging local authorities to protect the horses.
Farmers’ objections
The horses share the already scarce water resources with the farmers’ cattle and destroy their crops, which led farmers to chase and kill them.
The Livno city government approved a decision to protect the horses in 2009 but withdrew it in 2017.
Livno town council enacted a law to protect the horses in 2009 but abandoned it in 2017.
This was because of the high damage cost, farmers’ claims and car accidents caused by horses on the roads.
However, the town authorities have once again considered protecting the horses, which they now view as more beneficial.
Farmer Benjamin Varupa has doubts about whether authorities can find a solution to fix both farmers’ and horses’ interests.
“There is no solution. Everybody lays claims to the horses, and nobody wants to take responsibility for them,” Varupa said.
He used a pump to get water for his cattle from a well. “The horses may disappear, and so may we,” he added.
