"The Global Equine Community Oppose the inhumane killing of Brumbies"

Australia's Wild Living Horses Need Your Urgent Help!

For decades, Australia has witnessed the harrowing scenes of Brumby mass shootings.

Aerial shooting was banned in New South Wales by an Attorney General due to its cruelty but was reintroduced in November 2023, despite opposition from Brumby supporters. This followed a 20-year ban. Aerial shooting is takes place in Victoria and New South Wales.

Men in helicopters relentlessly pursue and open fire on entire herds of Brumbies as they desperately try to escape. The fear and panic among these sentient creatures are palpable. Many, including foals, mares in foal, and stallions, collapse from fatigue before being shot with a barrage of bullets. Stallions try to protect their herds. Alternatively, helicopters herd Brumbies beneath tree canopies, where ground shooters are waiting. The Brumbies, desperately trying to flee, wrap themselves around trees or stumble with broken legs and bodies, suffering a horrific and barbaric death. Tragically, a significant number of Brumbies do not receive humane, swift shots, resulting in a protracted and agonizing death.

Post-shooting investigations reveal many Brumbies have taken single gut shots, neck shots, and back shots. Mares in foal taking single gut shots involuntarily abort. Unweaned foals can roam around the carcass of their mothers, ultimately dying of starvation or being eaten by predators such as dingoes, wild pigs, or foxes.

There is no capacity to land helicopters to check on shot Brumbies for signs of life, in remote, canopied areas which means many Brumbies die lingrering painful deaths.

The justification for these actions hinges on claims such as "Horses are non-native to Australia," "They pose a threat to indigenous wildlife," and "There is an excessive number of Brumbies." However, there has been no Brumby Impact Study undertaken, nor a population survey acceptable to stakeholders. Parks managers rely on numbers proven to be flawed by a biostatistician's review of the survey relied on by the government. The numbers are hotly disputed.

We call upon the global community of caring equine supporters to demand that the Australian government:

1. Cease the inhumane treatment of Brumbies.

2. Complete a Brumby Impact Study across the Australian Alpine National Park for Kosciousko National Park and the Eastern Alps of Victoria.

3. Introduce non-lethal management.

4. Rely on rehoming where numbers require them to be removed as per management plans

3,000 Heritage Brumbies are permitted to live in four retention zones across Kosciuszko National Park, Minister Penny Sharpe recently said in a Parliamentary committee there are now about 3,000 Brumbies (we believe much less), yet NPWS continue to remove Brumbies for rehoming, possibly sending to knackeries and/or ground shooting.

Please will you help our Brumbies by signing the campaign letter and emailing it to decision-makers asking for an immediate end to lethal management and a return to humane management.

Be sure to add a few of your own words plus your country and State/Region

Thank you.

Brumby Action Group Incorporated - a not for profit incorporated association.

Photo: Judy Shelton Goggin

Australia's Wild Living Horses Need Your Urgent Help!

For decades, Australia has witnessed the harrowing scenes of Brumby mass shootings.

Aerial shooting was banned in New South Wales by an Attorney General due to its cruelty but was reintroduced in November 2023, despite opposition from Brumby supporters. This followed a 20-year ban. Aerial shooting is takes place in Victoria and New South Wales.

Men in helicopters relentlessly pursue and open fire on entire herds of Brumbies as they desperately try to escape. The fear and panic among these sentient creatures are palpable. Many, including foals, mares in foal, and stallions, collapse from fatigue before being shot with a barrage of bullets. Stallions try to protect their herds. Alternatively, helicopters herd Brumbies beneath tree canopies, where ground shooters are waiting. The Brumbies, desperately trying to flee, wrap themselves around trees or stumble with broken legs and bodies, suffering a horrific and barbaric death. Tragically, a significant number of Brumbies do not receive humane, swift shots, resulting in a protracted and agonizing death.

Post-shooting investigations reveal many Brumbies have taken single gut shots, neck shots, and back shots. Mares in foal taking single gut shots involuntarily abort. Unweaned foals can roam around the carcass of their mothers, ultimately dying of starvation or being eaten by predators such as dingoes, wild pigs, or foxes.

There is no capacity to land helicopters to check on shot Brumbies for signs of life, in remote, canopied areas which means many Brumbies die lingrering painful deaths.

The justification for these actions hinges on claims such as "Horses are non-native to Australia," "They pose a threat to indigenous wildlife," and "There is an excessive number of Brumbies." However, there has been no Brumby Impact Study undertaken, nor a population survey acceptable to stakeholders. Parks managers rely on numbers proven to be flawed by a biostatistician's review of the survey relied on by the government. The numbers are hotly disputed.

We call upon the global community of caring equine supporters to demand that the Australian government:

1. Cease the inhumane treatment of Brumbies.

2. Complete a Brumby Impact Study across the Australian Alpine National Park for Kosciousko National Park and the Eastern Alps of Victoria.

3. Introduce non-lethal management.

4. Rely on rehoming where numbers require them to be removed as per management plans

3,000 Heritage Brumbies are permitted to live in four retention zones across Kosciuszko National Park, Minister Penny Sharpe recently said in a Parliamentary committee there are now about 3,000 Brumbies (we believe much less), yet NPWS continue to remove Brumbies for rehoming, possibly sending to knackeries and/or ground shooting.

Please will you help our Brumbies by signing the campaign letter and emailing it to decision-makers asking for an immediate end to lethal management and a return to humane management.

Be sure to add a few of your own words plus your country and State/Region

Thank you.

Brumby Action Group Incorporated - a not for profit incorporated association.

Photo: Judy Shelton Goggin

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The Australian people and the Global Equine Community call upon the Australian Governments to cease the barbaric and cruel treatment of its wild living Brumbies. 
End lethal management of both ground and aerial shooting and implement ethical management. Comply with Legislation in NSW and Management Plans in both Victoria and New South Wales.

Plausible population counts in all National Parks must be carried out, and if necessary, passive trapping and rehoming to be implemented if numbers are beyond those authorized.

Minister Sharpe stated in a recent committee when under questioning, said there are now about 3,000 Brumbies, as prescribed by Legislation, living in KNP. Minister Sharpe does not enunciate that 3,000 may live in four retention zones, nor does she provide a count specifically of the four retention zones, where we believe NPWS have barbarically plundered Brumby lives.

There is evidence that NPWS are now luring Brumbies out of retention zones where 3,000 may live in four zones, into trapyards in nearby removal zones,  and subsequently sending them to rehomers. For example, Kiandra Greys, specifically mentioned in the Management Plan as  living in one of the four retention zones,  have turned up at an authorised rehomer via National Parks and Wildlife Services.

This is totally unacceptable, highly unethical and potentially in breach of  Legislation and  the Management Plan.

Aerial shooting "is paused", but Minister Sharpe, stated  Brumbies could be sent to knackeries, aerially shot or ground shot! Minister Sharpe must take charge of NPWS NOW and stop what we believe to be unlawful and highly unethical activities.

The barbaric practice of men in helicopters relentlessly pursuing herds of Brumbies, foals, mares in foal, and stallions, then opening fire on entire herds of Brumbies as they desperately try to flee, and fall in fatigue, before being cruelly aerially shot, is inhumane. It was previously banned by an Attorney General of New South Wales and it must b e permanently banned again along with ground shooting.

The fear and panic among these sentient creatures is palpable, with many, foals, mares in foal and stallions, collapsing before being fired on with a barrage of bullets. Up to 15 bullets are fired, and, without an opportunity for helicopters to land to ensure Brumbies are not left suffering. Post shooting investigations have revealed the extent of the cruelty.

We abhor Australia's treatment of its culturally significant Heritage Brumbies, famous for being an iconic symbol of freedom and bloodline descendants of Australia's war horses.

Please, cease these inhumane activities to be replaced with ethical management of passive trapping and rehoming, after completing a Brumby Impact Survey, and Population Survey using up to date methods, acceptable to stakeholders in both New South Wales and Victoria.

Until humane treatment of Brumbies is adopted I shall neither visit your country or support Australian goods on sale in my own country of origin.

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