There was more bad news Tuesday when it came to the wild horses in the Champagne area.

While searching for two injured young horses, Aud Fischer, who operates a Facebook page dedicated to the animals, found two of the missing adults.

Known as Sundance and Storm, the mature stallion and mare were found together, and had been dead for at least two weeks.

Both animals were well-known to fans of the horses, as they regularly appeared on the side of the highway in the general vicinity of the Takhini River Bridge.

“We found Sundance and Storm today,” Fischer said. “They had been dead for at least two weeks, partially buried and heavily scavenged upon by bear, coyote, fox and raven. No wolf sign though.”

The two injured young horses, named Bolt and Pippen, have apparently not been seen in a few days.

Bolt, a yearling or two-year-old horse, appears to have a serious leg injury.

Pippen, just four to six months old, also appears to have suffered some injuries.

They were members of the herd, led by Sundance, which has disappeared along with a number of other horses in the region.

Fischer has speculated on the page that the horses most commonly seen along the highway number perhaps 25 or so in several bands. As many as 10 of those horses have been unaccounted for in recent months.

Several have disappeared recently.

The horses are believed to have been living in the wild in the area for many generations, with their origins possibly going back to animals used in the Gold Rush in the 1890s.

Many more are speculated to live further into the bush, where they rarely encounter people.

On the Facebook page, Fischer has recently documented a band previously not recognized as being distinct.

While that might help to balance numbers out, the disappearance of so many horses is puzzling and disturbing.

Linea Volkering, a spokeswoman for Environment Yukon, told the Star late this morning an animal protection officer “received reports of two young feral horses, one with (an) injured leg.

“The officer attended the area of the report on (Monday), and was unable to locate either horse. This animal protection officer was patrolling independently of any action the Facebook group might have planned.”

Volkering added, “The Yukon’s feral horse population is not considered a true wild animal according to the Wildlife Act and is therefore not protected by this legislation.

“The primary authority in such situations is the animal protection officer, rather than conservation officers.

“Currently, there are limited options under legislation to manage or control these horse populations other than deterring them from being on roadways for public safety, responding to calls of personal property destruction, and euthanizing them should they be in distress, e.g. vehicle accident,” Volkering added.

“In this case, animal protection officers have the authority to relieve an animal of suffering.”