Covering 689,600 hectares, the park is also one of the largest conservation reserves in Australia with tourism campaigns for the region often featuring photos of the horses grazing.<\/p>\n
The spike in brumby numbers has triggered the return of aerial shooting from June, a method paused last year after public backlash. <\/p>\n
The shooting will start on June 29 and end in early July, with other feral animals such as deer and boar also targeted.<\/p>\n
However advocates for the protection of brumbies say a cull should not begin until a count in the national park is finished.<\/p>\n
\u201cAustralians deserve a formal, independent count\u2026 before a single further horse is killed,\u201d Brumby Action Group<\/a> spokesperson Sarah Michaels said.<\/p>\n Michaels questions the government\u2019s figures.<\/p>\n \u201cIf there were 23,535 horses in 2022, and only 9,000 were formally removed, and the 2024 survey found fewer than 3,000 \u2014 where did 11,000 horses go?,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd if the answer is that the original numbers were wrong then every cull conducted on the basis of those numbers was conducted without verified justification.\u201d<\/p>\n Environmental groups and the NSW Government argue the horses cause widespread damage \u2014 trampling waterways, destroying native habitat and threatening species like the broad\u2011toothed rat and corroboree frog.<\/p>\n The Invasive Species Council<\/a> says the latest population surge has \u201cbig consequences for the wildlife, for the rivers,\u201d describing large herds as \u201ctrashing, trampling and polluting\u201d the park.<\/p>\n Horses and feral cattle do cause soil compaction, but brumby advocates claim the damage could be mitigated with better population management of the animals.<\/p>\n The government is legally required to reduce the population to 3,000 horses by mid\u20112027,<\/a> a target set under its brumby management plan. <\/p>\n Based on the government\u2019s own numbers, 3,000 to 10,000 horses could be shot within the first week of July.<\/p>\n The plan still allows for trapping and rehoming of some brumbies, however, the Kosciuszko parks terrain is both remote and rough country to travel on, making trapping horses dangerous for both humans and horses alike.<\/p>\n The NSW Government\u2019s 2025 wild horse survey \u2014 prepared and peer\u2011reviewed by independent experts \u2014 estimates 6,476 to 16,411 horses remain.<\/p>\n It\u2019s understood this estimation was not a headcount but rather done by NSW government \u201cindependent observers\u201d who surveyed parts of Kosciuszko National Park from helicopters, recording horse sightings along predetermined flight paths. <\/p>\n Statisticians then used those observations to estimate the total population across the park,<\/p>\n The survey\u2019s best estimate is 10,309 horses \u2014 which still means about 6,000 horses are expected to be culled.<\/p>\n The NSW government said the horse carcasses will mostly be left where they die, but said they would move bodies that have fallen near waterways, campgrounds, visitor areas or other sensitive sites.<\/p>\n The Invasive Species Council (ISC) has condemned what it calls a growing misinformation campaign surrounding feral horse management.<\/p>\n \u201cThis debate has become detached from reality. A national park is being damaged by an invasive species and somehow the controversy is about whether we should stop it,\u201d CEO Jack Gough said<\/p>\n He said support for reducing horse numbers spanned political lines.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is not a left versus right issue. It is a practical environmental management issue,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Wiradjuri man and ISC Indigenous Ambassador Richard Swain said the horses do cause extensive damage to the national park.<\/p>\n \u201cKosciuszko is not just a postcard and it is not just a playground. It is living Country,\u201d he said in a statement via the ISC.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen the headwaters are trampled and the wetlands are smashed, that damage flows all the way down Country.\u201d<\/p>\n He said heritage arguments often ignored the continent\u2019s First Nations people.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople talk about heritage, but they ignore the oldest heritage on this continent,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n NSW environment minister Penny Sharpe has strongly supported the cull in order to protect the famous alpine landscape. <\/p>\n \u201cKosciuszko National Park remains one of NSW\u2019s most precious locations\u2026 there is more work to be done to protect its fragile alpine and sub\u2011alpine environments,\u201d Sharpe said. <\/p>\n \u201cNo one wants to have to kill horses. But there are still too many in Kosciuszko National Park.\u201d<\/p>\n Since aerial shooting began in late 2023 after a ban on culling was lifted, 6,686 horses have been removed \u2014 6,041 through aerial shooting.<\/p>\n NSW had banned aerial shooting of wild horses after the Guy Fawkes River National Park cull in 2000, when public concern followed reports of wounded horses, including one found alive days after the operation. <\/p>\n Although an independent review found the cull was generally carried out humanely, the incident prompted a statewide ban that remained in place for more than two decades before aerial shooting resumed in Kosciuszko National Park under updated protocols.<\/p>\n The return of helicopter shooting has sparked fury among brumby advocates.<\/p>\n On pro\u2011brumby forums, some have slammed the new population counts as implausible, arguing the numbers could not have jumped from fewer than 3,000 to more than 16,000.<\/p>\n Photographer Brumby Trails has documented several herds leaving the national park, showing herds in good condition with mares and foals. <\/p>\n Animal Justice Party MP Emma Hurst said the government should be trialling fertility control, not \u201canother bloodbath\u201d. <\/p>\n Hurst said NSW authorities have repeatedly agreed to run trials using one\u2011dart contraceptive technology used in the US \u2014 but none have begun.<\/p>\n The NSW government said a report into contraceptive methods proved it wouldn\u2019t work on the population in the park, due to the large amount of horses, with the method only working for smaller herds in smaller areas.<\/p>\n Foundation Franz Weber (FFW)<\/a>, an international conversation group, said its campaign to protect Australia\u2019s wild horses began almost four decades ago after learning of helicopter shootings of brumbies.<\/p>\n \u201cThe large-scale slaughter of wild horses shocked the foundation, which launched an international campaign and brought the issue to the attention of the European public,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n The campaign ultimately led the Swiss-based organisation to purchase Bonrook Station in the Northern Territory in 1989, creating what it describes as Australia\u2019s only protected reserve for brumbies.<\/p>\n Viktoria Kirchhoff, the Australian representative and project manager for horse sanctuaries for FFW, said the 495sqm property gave brumbies a second chance.<\/p>\n \u201cBonrook is the only protected reserve in Australia where a significant population of brumbies can live safely and freely in their family groups, undisturbed and unhandled,\u201d Kirchhoff said.<\/p>\n The sanctuary is home to about 800 brumbies, along with wild cattle, water buffalo and native wildlife. <\/p>\n Kirchhoff said the organisation\u2019s experience at Bonrook had shaped its view of wild horse management.<\/p>\n \u201cBased on nearly 40 years of real-life experience at Bonrook, we can confirm that brumbies coexist harmoniously with native wildlife and ecosystems,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cIf brumbies were inherently destructive to native flora and fauna, we would not see this level of biodiversity thriving on the same land.\u201d<\/p>\n Kirchhoff said the foundation believed brumbies held an important place in Australia\u2019s history and identity.<\/p>\n \u201cBrumbies are living descendants of Australia\u2019s colonial and pastoral history,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cFor many Australians, brumbies represent resilience, freedom and a unique connection to the country\u2019s history and identity.\u201d<\/p>\n The organisation remains strongly opposed to the NSW Government\u2019s wild horse management program in Kosciuszko National Park.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is absolutely heartbreaking,\u201d Kirchhoff said.<\/p>\n \u201cFor nearly 40 years, Fondation Franz Weber has demonstrated that humane alternatives to aerial shooting exist, yet governments continue to rely on one of the cruellest methods of wildlife management.\u201d<\/p>\n She said the organisation believed money spent on aerial shooting could instead be directed towards \u201chumane management measures such as relocation\u201d.<\/p>\n Asked whether aerial shooting was ever acceptable, Kirchhoff said she was against any killing of horses.<\/p>\n \u201cNo. Shooting horses from helicopters is inherently inhumane,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen humane and practical alternatives exist, there is simply no justification for resorting to aerial shooting.\u201d<\/p>\n Kirchhoff also questioned the science underpinning the NSW Government\u2019s management program.<\/p>\n \u201cWe believe there needs to be greater consistency in how environmental impacts are assessed and addressed,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n She also argued attention on protecting the Snowy Mountains region should not focus solely on wild horses.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is difficult to understand why the focus remains almost exclusively on the horses while such a massive infrastructure project is fundamentally reshaping the very ecosystem they are accused of damaging,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Currently underway in the Kosciuszko National Park is the construction of the Snowy 2.0 pumped hydro-electric project, designed to provide large-scale energy storage by moving water between two reservoirs through a network of underground tunnels and turbines. <\/p>\n Snowy Hydro says the project is critical to supporting Australia\u2019s transition to renewable energy, providing on-demand electricity when wind and solar output is low. <\/p>\n However, it has also attracted sustained criticism from environmental groups, who argue that construction works, tunnelling and associated infrastructure are causing significant impacts on the alpine environment and fragmenting sensitive habitats within the national park.<\/p>\n Beyond Kosciuszko, Kirchhoff said she feared aerial shooting was becoming the accepted approach to wild horse management across Australia.<\/p>\n \u201cInstead of investing taxpayer money in humane, long-term solutions, governments are increasingly relying on mass culling despite the existence of practical alternatives,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n The Invasive Species Council estimates current wild horse numbers across Australia to be around 400,000.<\/p>\n The debate over brumbies is as cultural as it is environmental. For many, the horses are living symbols of the Snowy Mountains \u2014 the spirit of The Man from Snowy River.<\/p>\n But their symbolic status is changing.<\/p>\n In late 2025, the NSW Parliament voted to scrap the Kosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Act, known as the \u201cBrumby Bill\u201d. Conservationists celebrated the repeal as an \u201cincredible victory for nature\u201d.<\/p>\n Environment Minister Penny Sharpe said the decision ensured feral horses were treated the same as other invasive species like pigs and feral deer.<\/p>\n Australia\u2019s feral horses descend from animals brought with the First Fleet in 1788. <\/p>\n With no specific predators, populations boomed \u2014 part of a broader pattern that included foxes, rabbits and cane toads.<\/p>\n Many first horses were British thoroughbred, or heavy breeds that helped cultivate Australia.<\/p>\n Brumbies now count their ancestors as the hardy Australian Stock Horse, the Waler and a melting pot of other breeds that came to Australia. <\/p>\n The brumbies are a mix of horses breed descended from those who have either escaped, turned loose or dumped across Australia.<\/p>\n Federal Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has become the most high-profile political figure to oppose the cull of the Snowy Mountains brumbies. <\/p>\n Speaking on Radio 2GB, he said he grew up riding through the region and developed a strong appreciation for the landscape and its brumbies.<\/p>\n \u201cI learnt that the locals cared for it deeply,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Taylor argued brumbies have been managed by local communities for generations<\/a>, and criticised National Parks authorities for failing to control population numbers.<\/p>\n \u201cIt has failed. It has failed abysmally, and we end up in this dismal situation we\u2019re in right now,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re conducting these culls which are not only inhumane but absolutely unnecessary.\u201d<\/p>\n He also questioned official population estimates.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think they have any real handle on the numbers,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Taylor said the issue reflects a broader problem of government decision-making overriding local knowledge.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is emblematic of what\u2019s happening in our country, where we get governments and bureaucracies that think they know better\u2026 and screw it up.\u201d<\/p>\n The cull is expected to begin Monday.<\/p>\n Those interested in rehoming a wild horse can apply through the NSW government\u2019s website<\/a> or contact the NPWS Wild Horse Team. <\/p>\n Applicants need to satisfy NPWS that they have relevant experience in managing and handling wild horses, have no animal welfare convictions and have suitable land and facilities to hold them. <\/p>\n Who\u2019s next for Socceroos? Knockout date and time set as struggling giant looms<\/p>\n 3 min read<\/p>\n![\"Six-thousand](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/f8181c26b098f9ca33950dcd6688ec15b8040bb7.jpg\")
Six-thousand horses are expected to be culled up to July 2027, including this brumby called Ragner. Credit: Brumby TrailsPark under pressure<\/p>\n![\"Anyone](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/5ed2b4833613d772c3846c45384cba210ab601cf.jpg\")
Anyone interesting in rehoming brumbies are urged to contact the NPWS Wild Horse Team. Credit: Brumby Trails<\/p>\n![\"Foals](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/b5da35c1e9d15f1a07b07982c6fde2485fa7c074.jpg\")
Foals and young horses are expected to be culled. Credit: Brumby TrailsAerial culling returns<\/p>\n![\"According](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/c2d10df71f033fab7e4de6d7fc1b2680f0fb9a86.jpg\")
According to the NSW government the population is too large for contraceptive methods to be used. Credit: Brumby Trails<\/p>\n![\"Bonrook](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/6bfd75db6cc69cc77fcc064e8b31c89addfab4d8.jpg\")
Bonrook Station in the Northern Territory has a large population of brumbies. Credit: Fondation Franz Weber\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"Advocates](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/ca1294c0030f2c38dda7ea5991802886566f16c2.jpg\")
Advocates say rehoming horses should be a priority. Credit: Brumby Trails<\/p>\n![\"Nearly](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/7ea75aeefdd79e725f0545af6724a393ced204c7.jpg\")
Nearly half a million feral horses are found in Australia, according to the ISC. Credit: Brumby TrailsHeritage vs habitat<\/p>\n![\"Opposition](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/565bc02e7b5e773c49817e83370eadee1d2eefb7.jpg\")
Opposition Leader Angus Taylor is against the cull of the horses. Credit: Facebook\/Supplied<\/p>\n![\"Culling](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/e73f446e70a97fef2f0c4f9c7b8aee9f5fa62fef.jpg\")
Culling begins on Monday Credit: Brumby Trails<\/p>\n