Government Investigates Brumby Rehoming Amid Allegations of Illegal Knackeries
After the property inspection began, it was evident that horse slaughtering had been ongoing for a significant period.
The NSW government has had to halt its brumby rehoming program due to the uncovering of an illegal horse slaughter location in the southern part of the state.
The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment, and Water announced on April 26 that an investigation into the program would be carried out following public allegations about the unauthorized knackery near Wagga Wagga.
An inquiry into the program, managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service, was initiated after claims that over 250 wild horses had been relocated to an individual associated with the informal slaughterhouse, as stated by the department.
Wagga Wagga City Council is leading a distinct investigation after discovering more than 500 deceased horses at various locations on the property, including in a dry creek bed.
“Once the inspection of the property began, it emerged that horse slaughtering had been occurring for a prolonged duration,” the council previously mentioned in a statement.
The rehoming of wild horses is part of the state government’s strategy for managing Kosciuszko National Park, where there is a target to reduce the brumby population to 3000 by 2027, as specified by the law.
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Recent counts revealed that there were approximately 22,500 horses in the park, according to officials.
Earlier in April, sections of the park were closed for six months as aerial shooting was implemented to reduce brumby numbers following a surge during a period that favored rehoming.
The contentious shooting practice was discontinued in 2000 due to animal welfare concerns.
Several scientists and conservation organizations argue that wild horses are significantly impacting alpine ecosystems, while brumby activists oppose aerial shooting and advocate for rehoming.
Advocacy director Jack Gough from the Invasive Species Council mentioned that rehoming brumbies was believed to be more compassionate than shooting but the reality proved otherwise.
“Rehomed horses endure immense stress and are often injured during the process,” Mr. Gough conveyed in a statement to AAP.
“Many of them are so distressed, sick, or injured from the process that they eventually need to be euthanized.”
He noted that very few individuals have the expertise to train feral horses, leaving them with limited options for rehoming that meet welfare criteria.
The departmental investigation, initiated by NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe, is set to commence next week and a report is expected by June 14.
When asked for a response, Ms. Sharpe’s office referred AAP to a statement, emphasizing that the government takes the “disturbing reports very seriously.”
