Snowy Mountains Brumby Shootings
The Australian Brumby Alliance (Inc) has today been appalled to hear of the recent apparent recreational slaughter of brumbies at Mcphersons Plains, situated on the Eastern side of Tumbarumba in NSW.
The area is surrounded by the Kosciuszco National Park as well as State Forest and heavily forested private land. Brumbies in this region originate for the most part from populations within the Park and migrate throughout the region, being a major tourist attraction to the area in the process.
In early 2009, the Victorian Brumby Association Inc. (a member of the ABA), was contacted by a local resident who was distressed that brumbies were being regularly shot in the area. This person had found more than thirty Brumbies who had died as a result of gun shots wounds in the preceding three months. Many of these brumbies had died from neck, gut and leg shots. Evidence showed one mare had foaled whilst she was dying. Visitors riding in the area have more recently have also come across bodies, as well as a foal with a broken leg who was still alive and had to be euthanased.
Local Police now want public help over the inhumane killing of these brumbies. Senior Constable Geoffrey McKenzie from Tumbarumba police says that about thirty-five horses have been shot dead over the last year, but there could be more unreported cases. Most have died in the Bago and Maragle state forests near Tumbarumba.
He says police do not know who is responsible, but they do not believe licensed shooters are involved. “It appears it’s not a programmed thing, someone’s not going out there and doing it systematically,” he said. “We’ve had people ringing the police station very upset and even for us going out there it’s not a nice thing to see.”
The Australian Brumby Alliance is concerned that not enough has been done to find the individual responsible. Rumour has it that the person has even advertised in a local paper for other shooters to join him. The Victorian Brumby Association has contacted the RSPCA, local Park Rangers and the Police and an investigation is now being carried out. Local radio has also reported on the situation.
Although the Australian Brumby Alliance understands that humanely organised culls sometimes have to be carried out in certain wild horse populations throughout Australia, it in no way condones the indiscriminate and inhumane slaughter of brumbies for sport, particularly not those which serve as a tourist attraction in a National Park. The Alliance group members will be keeping a close eye on the investigation and trust that the outcome will be a positive one for the brumbies.
If anyone has any information relating to these shootings, please contact the Tumbarumba Police.
Press release courtesy of the Australian Brumby Alliance Inc.