YOU VOTED FOR BRUMBIES NOT TO BE SHOT BEFORE WHEN YOU SIGNED THE PETITION
PLEASE VOTE FOR THEM AGAIN BY COMPLETING THE POLL "Should Brumbies in Victoria's Alps be Shot" and SAY NO TO SHOOTING IN THE ALPS THIS WEEK!
In May 2021 a Petition with over 180,000 signatures was delivered to the Minister for the Environment demanding that no Brumbies be shot and that the Minister for Environment support a Bill for enactment of Legislation, "The Victorian Heritage Brumby Act Bill" to protect and conserve wild living Brumbies in all National Parks of Victoria. The Minister chooses to ignore the voices of over 180,000 signatories who want to see Brumbies and our cultural Heritage protected.
On 1 November 2021 Parks Victoria released the "Protection of the Alpine National Park - Feral Horse Action Plan 2021" to inform future management of Brumbies in the Victorian Alpine Park.
Despite the Minister for Environment having announced to stakeholders there would be a count of Brumbies in the Victorian Alpine region in 2020, there has been no count nor any reason given why a count has not been undertaken or released. This, despite the wildfires of 2019 which dramatically reduced Brumby populations across all areas of the Alpine National Park in both NSW and Victoria.
Despite there having been no count, the communication proceeds to state that "there has been limited response to repeated and direct public calls for interest in this program" (rehoming).
There has been no expressions of interest for rehoming put out by Parks Victoria and particularly since the publication of the Action Plan 2021 as it was only published on 1 November 2021, and delivered the same day, namely 2 days prior to the date of this update.
The communication further states "additional control methods of tightly managed shooting will take place"
Brumby Action Group were, concurrently with the release of the new management plan, informed of plans by DEWLP under instructions from Parks Victoria, to commence surreptitiously shooting Brumbies in the Victorian Alpine Park following the long weekend holiday of Cup Day namely after 04 November 2021. This week.
We have been informed by a reliable and private source that DEWLP received directive from Parks Victoria to include Brumbies as a species to be shot by moving helicopter, this week during an overhead "feral species" management.
It is foaling season and mares will be foaling for some months. Shooting any species from a moving helicopter is inhumane at any time, but choosing to shoot mares in foal and mares with foals at foot is beyond gross cruelty and is an alarm for a breach of animal welfare.
RSPCA Victoria have been informed of Parks Victoria plans, and we have asked that any plans to shoot Brumbies be stopped. It is contrary to the model codes of practice to trap mares in foal during foaling season for fear foals will be crushed underfoot. More so, the level of cruelty of shooting mares in foal with newborn foals is simply unimaginably cruel and inhumane.
WE OPPOSE ANY SHOOTING OF BRUMBIES. WE DEMAND THE INTRODUCTION OF A BILL FOR LEGISLATION TO RECOGNISE THE HERITAGE AND CULTURAL VALUE OF VICTORIAN BRUMBIES AND THAT HERITAGE VALUE BE ENSHRINED IN LEGISLATION THAT WILL SEE SUSTAINABLE MANAGED MOBS OF BRUMBIES LIVING IN ALL NATIONAL PARKS FOR ALL FUTURE GENERATIONS.
We demand Minister Lily D'Ambrosio take control of her Department.
The Weekly Times have followed us and the Brumby debacle and now published a Poll.
Please sign the Poll "NO" that you do not want to see Brumbies shot.
Link to Poll: