NSW government approves aerial shooting of wild horses

NSW government approves aerial shooting of wild horses in the Kosciuszko National Park in New South Wales. The New South Wales (NSW) government approved the aerial shooting to control the number of feral horses in the park.

This step of the government is necessary to protect the threatened native wildlife and ecosystems. There are reports of an estimated 19,000 wild horses living in Kosciuszko National Park. This number has increased by a third in the last two years. Brumbies is the name for these feral horses.

Aerial shooting of feral horses approved by NSW governmenthttps://t.co/vqxFpNWR0i
— The Sydney Morning Herald (@smh) October 26, 2023

NSW government approves aerial shooting of wild horses

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Environment Minister Penny Sharpe announced the news of an aerial shooting authorized by the NSW government to reduce the wild horse population in Kosciuszko National Park. She said existing control methods will remain. She further said it was not an easy decision but an essential one to protect our only alpine park.

Today I announced that NSW will authorise aerial shooting as a method to reduce the wild horse population in Kosciuszko National Park.

Existing control methods will remain.

This was not an easy decision but an essential one to protect our only alpine park.
— Penny Sharpe (@PennySharpemlc) October 26, 2023

Minister Sharpe said there are too many farel horses in Kosciuszko National Park. Threatened native species are in danger of extinction and the entire ecosystem is under threat.

Aerial slaughter will be added to the wild horse management plan of Kosciuszko National Park which allows for numbers to be reduced to 3,000 horses by June 2027.

Besides aerial shooting, ground, and aerial mustering, passive trapping followed by rehearsals, ground shooting, and slaughter are among other control methods.

Wild horses are blamed for ecological disaster in national parks so the NSW government has decided to allow aerial shooting of brumbies.