The RSPCA has been asked to investigate the plan after it was discovered that “control measures” in a national park were responsible for the deaths of 11 healthy wild brumbies, three of whom were pregnant.
A whole herd they had been documenting for years was shot and left to decay on Sunday in Kosciuszko National Park, according to Cooma couple Michelle and Ian Brown.
The animals were found to have gunshot wounds in their bodies and heads. Three or more of the mares were expecting.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), which has yet to accept responsibility, is believed to have shot the horses as part of “wild horse management” efforts to save the park’s delicate environment.
Former Monaro representative and National Party MP Peter Cochran blasted the deaths, telling 2GB’s Ray Hadley that the animals were not treated with care.
This was a planned ambush, he said.
“I’m embarrassed to be an Australian connected to those who would do it,” the speaker said.
Ray called the behaviour “disgraceful.”
Finally, he claimed, the National Parks and Wildlife Service has acknowledged that it is to blame for the deaths of those 11 brumbies.
James Griffin, the state’s environment minister, disclosed he had requested the RSCPA examine the management plan, prompting the remarks.
When questioned about the shootings, he said, “Wild horse management is being carried out in accordance with the provisions of the Wild Horse Management Plan, which was authorised in 2021.”
The strategy is the outcome of years of collaboration with parties that hold a variety of viewpoints, including advocates for wild horses, environmentalists, and animal welfare organizations.
In order to “balance the preservation of their historical values” and sustaining the “unique conservation qualities of the national park,” he added, the plan called for gradually reducing the number of horses in Kosciuszko National Park.
He said, “In response to concerns expressed by certain community members, I have requested an assessment of the plan’s execution, with support from RSPCA NSW.
For years, brumby enthusiasts and ecologists have been at odds over the existence of the wild horses in the national park.
Ms. Brown, the person who found the animals, told Daily Mail Australia that a brumby recount is necessary because she believes there are more wild horses than are thought to be present in the park.
“We want a thorough census of the brumby population.” The brumbies and wild horse management strategy as a whole is based on a faulty population count, she said.
There are now less than 1,500 horses up there, maybe even less. The National Parks and Wildlife Service and others engaged in the evacuation of the brumbies claim that there are 14,000 horses there.
I’ve been trekking in the region for a very long time, and I really doubt there are more than 1,500 brumbies there. Everything is founded on fabrications and disinformation. Locals here adore the brumbies.
The specifics of the control mechanisms used won’t be made public, but an official from the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) informed Daily Mail Australia that “animal welfare criteria are being maintained.”
When she and her boyfriend were with the brumby clan last week, Ms. Brown claimed to have been “mad” and unable to stop thinking about what had transpired.
The specifics of the control procedures used won’t be made public, but a NSW NPWS official informed Daily Mail Australia that “standards are being fulfilled.”
According to the Kosciuszko National Park Wild Horse Heritage Management Plan, the NPWS is carrying out wild horse management, an NPWS spokeswoman stated.
The Plan strikes a compromise between preserving the park’s high conservation features and safeguarding the historical value of wild horses.
“Operational specifics concerning control will not be made publicly available to safeguard the welfare of wild horses and the safety of NSW NPWS workers, contractors, and visitors.”
Under the Kosciuszko Wild Heritage Act, a strategy to lower the brumby population in the park was initiated in November 2021.
The legislation declares that it will safeguard the 3,000 wild horses that make up 32% of the park’s wild horse population.
According to the legislation, “by lowering the wild horse population from an anticipated 14,380 horses to 3,000 horses by 30 June 2027,” it “maintains the environmental qualities of the park.” The proposal calls for the elimination of wild horses across 68% of the park.
The Kosciuzsko Wild Historical Act allows for “active management of the wild horse population to lessen their influence on the park’s vulnerable ecology” and “recognizes and preserves wild horse heritage assets in Kosciuszko National Park.”