Help save the Kosciuszko Wild Horses

UPDATE : 1st November 2023 ... CALL TO ARMS IN THE HOUR OF GREATEST NEED FOR OUR WILD HORSES …

Dear Brumby supporters you may by now have heard news of the decision by the NSW Government to start aerial shooting of the Kosciuszko brumbys commencing around 12th November. This decision contradicts promises made by Labor in opposition that they would never consider aerial shooting due to the fact that it is an extremely inhumane practice resulting in many horses merely being wounded and dying an agonising death over the following hours or even days.

The whole need to cull the brumby at all has been contradicted by equine experts and independent statisticians anyway. The guesstimate put forward by the Government of 18,000 brumbys in the Park has been proven to be impossible as it would take every horse in the Park ( mares, stallions and even foals) to give birth to 6 foals each year to achieve that rate of growth. In reality mares can only give birth to one foal each year. The Wild Horse Act guarantees a minimum of 3,000 horses will be permitted to remain in the Park yet wildlife photographers who trek up into the Park daily are now saying that it would be lucky if 100 now remain after the recent NPWS ground shooting campaign which has all but wiped them out.

I am now working to help veteran brumby advocate Di Hardley and her Brumby Sustainability Group to rescue as many of the survivors as possible and take them to safety at the Brumby sanctuary near Cooma before the bloodbath starts. She collected a group of six young brumbys last week (see attached photos) and funds permitting she intends to go and pick up another group as soon as possible. They will be able to run free and live out their lives in peace on private land.

I will be once again making a donation myself and I’m sure Di and her devoted helpers would appreciate any donations large or small from the generous donors who helped with this brumby fundraiser last year. Please consider supporting this urgent appeal and join us to get behind the people on the ground doing their best to bring the surviving brumbys to safety.

Yours sincerely,

Warrick Dobbie

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The NSW government has started culling thousands of wild horses in the Kosciuszko National Park. They speculate that there are around 14,000 brumbys in the park, a number hotly disputed by brumby advocates who fear that this overestimation and current trapping rates will effectively eradicate the wild horses from the park entirely despite the government’s stated policy to maintain 3000 in the park.

 

In any event trapping of brumbys is now happening at such an incredible pace that it will soon overwhelm the community groups working valiantly to rehome the horses. As the resources of these groups are gradually exhausted, more and more of these noble animals will be sent by the government to be killed for pet food. We can help by donating funds to divert the trapped horses from a dreadful fate in the hands of a cruel government and instead give them a chance for a loving home. The greatest expense for rehomers is transport from the trapping yards which costs around $2000 for each group of 5 horses (many of which are family groups). Please consider donating to this cause as we step in to remedy a cruel government policy and make every effort to save Australia’s wild horses from a terrible fate.

 

As a NSW based lawyer I am working closely with Australian brumby advocacy groups in this time of crisis for the wild horses. All funds will be directed straight to Brumby rehomers to support their work so that we make a tangible difference in the best interests of the brumbys.