Cull of feral horses in Kosciuszko National Park to avert ‘danger of extinction’ of native species

NSW Environment Minister, Penny Sharpe has announced that feral horses in the Kosciuszko National Park will be shot from the air declaring it essential for protecting the park’s threatened wildlife and ecosystems.

Minister Sharpe said the decision to amend the Park’s management plan to allow aerial culling of feral horse populations came after 82% of 11,002 submissions from stakeholders supported the measure in addition to other existing control methods.

Advising that “threatened native species are in danger of extinction”, Minister Sharpe stated “there are simply too many wild horses in Kosciuszko national park. Threatened native species are in danger of extinction and the entire ecosystem is under threat. We must take action.”

With brumby numbers having surged in recent years, Minister Sharpe explained “I want to make sure our national parks staff have all the options they need to reach the population target and protect this precious alpine environment.”

Minister Sharpe said she understood the decision would upset some people and she empathised “with those who feel distressed that we must undertake control programs”.

However, she pointed out that effective management of horse populations had been paused for too many years and the National Park has suffered.

Noting that as the minister with responsibility for national parks, she could not stand by as horses caused damage to ecosystems and Indigenous cultural heritage, Minister Sharpe added “I can’t stand by and say the status quo is adequate, because the harm and damage that’s happening to that park is too great.”

The move comes after the final report of a Senate inquiry into the damage thousands of feral horses were causing in the Australian Alps found horses posed an extinction risk to native species, including the critically endangered stocky galaxias fish and the southern corroboree frog.

In May, the Federal Threatened Species Scientific Committee warned the inquiry that feral horses “may be the crucial factor that causes final extinction” of six critically endangered animals and at least two critically endangered plants.

Released last week, the Senate report said NSW laws protecting feral horses from culling had led to an exponential increase in the population and recommended the NSW Government address this in part by updating the Kosciuszko national park wild horse heritage management plan to allow aerial shooting to help control numbers.

The NSW Government had already announced in August it proposed to update the plan to allow for aerial shooting after routine surveys found other control measures were not sufficient to meet the legislated requirement to reduce the number of horses in the park to 3,000 by 2027.

The surveys, conducted November last year, estimated the number of feral horses had increased to 18,814 - up from 14,380 in 2020.

The government’s decision follows years of often toxic debate about how to manage the invasive species.

In September last year, the former NSW Government asked NSW Police to investigate an alleged threat to a NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service office in the Snowy Mountains over ground shooting of feral horses in the park.

Aerial shooting will resume with a preliminary program this year that will be used to refine procedures and ensure correct processes are being adhered to.

Federal Environment and Water Minister, Tanya Plibersek, said she strongly welcomed the announcement, commenting “I love horses but they don’t belong in national parks. Feral horses are causing serious damage to our native plants and animals, including many endangered species in the Australian Alps.

“This will be a huge help in reducing feral horse numbers and protecting the more than 30 native threatened species that call the Alps home.”

The Australian Brumby Alliance said it was appalled at the decision to resume aerial culling.

Alliance President, Jill Pickering stated “we implore minister Sharpe to strengthen commitment to and resourcing of passive trapping and rehoming as the preferred method of population management, reserving lethal methods to high density areas and designated fragile zones identified in the NSW Wild Horse Act.

“Working closely with experienced horse communities will reduce conflict and facilitate rehoming.”

Images: Brumbies in Kosciuszko National Park. Credit: Shutterstock.