The New South Wales (NSW) government is planning to open up the option of aerial shooting to control wild horse populations in Kosciuszko National Park.
NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe said the park’s ecosystems were under threat.
“There is widespread recognition of the urgent need to reduce numbers of wild horses to protect more than 30 native threatened species,” she said.
These species include the mountain pygmy possum, corroboree frogs, stocky galaxias fish, and Kelton’s leek and blue-tongued greenhood orchids.
“Wild horses also erode and compact soil and reduce water quality in streams and wetlands,” Ms. Sharpe said.
According to estimates, there are between 14,500 and 23,500 wild horses, called brumbies, across the park.
The NSW government is currently required under law to reduce the wild horse population to 3,000 by June 2027.
However, using the existing control methods of trapping and rehoming and ground shooting, the population of horses by the deadline will still be over 12,000, according to government estimates.
Therefore, the government is seeking feedback for amending the park’s management plan to include aerial shooting.
“Recent reports show that without action, wild horses could tip threatened species to extinction. There are simply too many wild horses for the park to cope,” Ms. Sharpe said.
“NSW is not on track to meet the wild horse population target under the legislated Kosciuszko National Park Wild Horse Heritage Management Plan, which is why we must consider the introduction of aerial shooting, carried out by skilled, highly trained shooters to the highest animal welfare standards.”
Aerial shooting by professionals under formal operating protocols is considered to be the best practice and will deliver similar or better animal welfare outcomes than catch and rehoming or shooting in yard traps. State-of-the-art equipment is also provided during aerial shooting operations.
Environment Groups Welcome Call
Environmental advocacy groups applauded the move, calling it the “most humane” and effective control method.The Invasive Species Council noted that other wild animals like pigs and deer are routinely culled by aerial shooting by professional shooters, and there has been no evidence of non-kill shots being taken.
“No one likes to see animals killed, but the sad reality is that we have a choice to make between urgently reducing the numbers of feral horses or accepting the destruction of sensitive alpine ecosystems and habitats and the decline and extinction of native animals,” Invasive Species Council advocacy manager Jack Gough said.
“We may not like it, but culling by highly trained professionals is the only viable way of reducing numbers and saving the national park and our native animals that live there.
“Without a change to remove the arbitrary prohibition on aerial shooting, feral horse numbers will keep growing, and our native wildlife will pay the price.”
The Nature Conservation Council of NSW (NCC) said feral horse numbers were out of control, with estimates suggesting that the population has tripled over the past decade.
“Both the RSPCA and Australian Veterinary Association support the humane culling of feral horses and note that fertility control and trapping and rehoming are not viable options for feral horse population reduction due to the size and geographic spread of the current population in the Alps,” NCC CEO Jacqui Mumford said.
“The scale of ecological destruction that feral horses have on the habitats and water catchments in the Australian Alps cannot be overstated.
“Feral horses are listed as impacting at least 25 threatened alpine flora, and 14 threatened alpine fauna species, including the iconic corroboree frog, the broad-toothed rat, and rare alpine orchids.”
Feedback for the amendment is open until Sept. 11, 2023.
