Court in Australia Shooting wild horses from helicopters is legitimate
The Australian "Brumbies" are descendants of horses from European settlers. Because of their large numbers, thousands are now being shot from helicopters. A lawsuit by animal rights activists was unsuccessful.
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- In Australia, the killing of thousands of wild horses may continue, according to a court ruling.
- An animal welfare organization had filed a lawsuit to stop the shooting from helicopters in Kosciuszko National Park ordered by the New South Wales state government.
- Thousands of wild horses, known as "brumbies" in Australia, live in the region in the Australian Alps and are an important part of local folklore.
In Australia, the killing of thousands of wild horses may continue, according to a court ruling. A local animal welfare organization had filed a lawsuit to stop the shooting from helicopters in Kosciuszko National Park ordered by the New South Wales state government. The High Court of the region has now dismissed the lawsuit, as the ruling shows.
Thousands of wild horses, known as "brumbies" in Australia, live in the region in the Australian Alps and are an important part of local folklore. They are descendants of domesticated horses of European settlers and are comparable to American mustangs. Environmentalists criticize the animals for disturbing the delicate ecological balance, displacing native species and endangering wetlands.
Population to be drastically reduced
The local Ministry of the Environment approved the culls last year. "Based on the October 2023 population survey, it is estimated that there are between 12,797 and 21,760 wild horses in the park," it said in a statement. "By law, the National Parks and Wildlife Service must reduce the population to 3,000 wild horses by June 2027." At the same time, according to the authority, animals are also to be relocated to other areas.
The animal rights activists' lawyers had argued that shooting the horses from the air caused them "unnecessary or unjustified" pain and was an act of animal cruelty. The court dismissed the case after a three-day hearing. "The court ruled that animal welfare is not the only, nor the most important, consideration that the minister must take into account," the ruling stated.
Kosciuszko National Park is located around 350 kilometers southwest of Sydney. The nature reserve is located in the Snowy Mountains mountain range. It also includes the highest mountain on the Australian mainland, the 2228-metre-high Mount Kosciuszko. Parts of the park have been closed this Australian fall and winter for culling.