A private member's bill to protect endangered wild ponies in northwest Saskatchewan has been introduced in the legislature.

Bill 606 would give protected status to wild ponies in the Bronson Forest, about 170 kilometres north of Lloydminster.

The bill introduced Thursday by Saskatchewan Party MLA Tim McMillan says no one may "wilfully molest, interfere with, hurt, capture, or kill" any of the wild ponies of the Bronson Forest.

There are only about three dozen of the ponies in existence today, compared with an estimated 125 four years ago, according to a release from the Saskatchewan Party caucus.

The bill will be debated next week in the legislature.

The bill establishes a maxiumum penalty of $1,000 or two months in jail.