Heritage and Environment NSW advise the "Wild Horse Rehoming Program" is to restart with advice it will be 8 to 10 weeks time before brumbies "can be offered to approved rehomers".
Shooting of brumbies has been ongoing despite there being no population count in the four retention zone where up to 3,000 declared Heritage brumbies have been approved to live, in accordance with the Legislation in force and the management plan.
Advocates conducting recent walks within KNP following re-opening report few brumby sightings. There have been discoveries of numerous shot mobs beneath and among tree canopies, all having suffered violent and cruel deaths of gut, back, neck and multi body shots.
A count must take place now, adopting a method acceptable to stakeholders, with stakeholder involvement
Stakeholders and approved rehomers who have invested in properties and infrastructure are left dangling as NPWS cover up of their own failures by rehoming to a knackery. This weighs heavily on approved rehomers and the brumby community as barbaric shooting has continued.
A report was prepared and made available with 4 key recommendations.
Meanwhile, despite robust request for an end to lethal management controls NPWS have continued its abhorrent and cruel barbaric shooting in areas of KNP including in the four Retention Zones.
Despite Expert Equine Vet Dr Andrea Harvey giving evidence at the NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into the aerial shooting as proposed by NPWS, that it was "inhumane" the NSW Labor Government moved forward with mass shooting of brumbies relying on NPWS 2023 Standard Operating Procedures. The SOP's were criticised as being barbaric, even by the Shooters Party.
Link to Dr Andrea Harvey evidence:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjiprnSGDN4
Pictured, one of many Brumbies photographed recently shot, with back shots, gut shots, multiple body shots. The photographer stated "There is no way, these Brumbies did not suffer". A long, drawn out and cruel death as it was not a quick one shot death.
In alignment with the Kosci Wild Horse Legislation to recognise the Heritage value of Brumbies and to preserve that value with 3,000 recognised Heritage Brumbies to remain living in the four retention zones We are calling for an immediate count of brumbies. Immediate cessation of all lethal control and a hold on any rehoming pending the outcome of an immediate population count of the four retention zones a method to be agreed with stakeholders, and stakeholder involvement in the count, plus a declaration by the Minister about how many may live in each retention zone. If there are more than 3,000 brumbies within the four retention zones, those brumbies be made available for rehoming. All other brumbies within KNP must be made available for rehoming.
Please contact the Minister for Environment and Heritage Penny Sharpe today:
https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/members/Pages/member-details.aspx?pk=28
National Parks and Wildlife Services Attention Atticus Fleming
https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/about-npws/contact-us
Brumby Action Group Inc
https://www.facebook.com/groups/281286786262689
Photo: Anonymous photographer with photographer's express permission to use