Implementing the 2021 Kosciuszko National Park Wild Horse Heritage Management Plan
National Parks and Wildlife Service undertakes control of wild horses in Kosciuszko National Park.
Control occurs in accordance with the Kosciuszko National Park Wild Horse Heritage Management Plan.
The plan came into force in November 2021. National Parks and Wildlife Service commenced on-ground implementation of the plan in February 2022. A summary of the outcome of control programs will be made publicly available every 6 months. To protect the safety of National Parks and Wildlife Service staff, contractors and visitors, and the welfare of wild horses, operational details about wild horse control will not be publicly released.
Total number of horses removed 1 July 2023 to 31 December 2023
Rehoming
Knackery
Other deaths
Aerial shooting
Ground shooting
Shooting in yards
Tranquilisation followed by bolt gun in yards
Euthanised
Northern block
191
253
1
0
468
109
70
8
Snowy Plains block
0
0
0
5
21
0
0
0
Southern block
0
0
0
796
0
0
0
0
Cabramurra
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
Total – method
191
253
1
802
489
109
70
8
Total – removed
1,923
As noted in the plan, ensuring optimal animal welfare outcomes is an important consideration. All control operations are implemented consistent with relevant Commonwealth and NSW animal welfare legislation, regulations, codes of practice and standard operating procedures.
‘Other deaths’ are deaths directly or indirectly related to the passive trapping or temporary holding of wild horses, for example, euthanasia of passively trapped horses with pre-existing injuries or illnesses that prevents transport under the Commonwealth transport standards.
2024 control program
The 2021 Kosciuszko National Park Wild Horse Heritage Management Plan was amended on 23 October 2023 to authorise aerial shooting as an approved control method for horses in Kosciuszko National Park.
The amendment means that National Parks and Wildlife Service may use aerial shooting, in addition to existing control methods such as trapping, rehoming, and ground shooting, to meet its legal obligation to reduce the horse population in Kosciuszko National Park to 3,000 by mid-2027. Other methods, including rehoming, will continue in 2024.
For the safety of visitors and staff, some sections of the park will be closed temporarily while aerial shooting of horses, pigs, deer and other feral animals is conducted. This is common practice for all feral animal aerial shooting operations across NSW national parks.
All tracks, trails, campgrounds, huts, picnic areas and accommodation nodes in the closure areas will be closed to the public during these periods, other than:
all campgrounds along the Barry Way remain open in the southern block
Kiandra Courthouse and Delaneys Hut remain open in the northern block.
Visitors with impacted campground bookings will be notified and full refunds made.
Closed locations
Locations closed in the southern area include:
Cascade trail
Australian Alps Walking Track from Alpine Way to southern park boundary
Pilot Wilderness mountain bike ride (Alpine Way to Barry Way)
Locations closed in the northern area include:
Bullocks Hill campground
Cooinbil Hut campground
Cooinbil Hut Horse Camp
Ghost Gully campground
Long Plain Hut campground
Magpie Flat campground
Old Snowy campground
Perkins Flat campground
Rocky Plain campground
Wares Yards campground
Blue Waterholes campground
Cooleman Mountain campground
Long Plain Hut horse camp
Broken Cart campground
Dubbo Flats campground
Currango Homestead precinct
Clarke Gorge walking track
Nichols Gorge walking track
Australian Alps walking track north of the Snowy Mountains Highway to the park boundary
National Trail north of the Snowy Mountains Highway to the park boundary
Hume Hovell walking track from the powerline on the northern boundary of the park to the park boundary at Thomas Boyd track head.
A review was conducted into a reported public safety incident in relation to the aerial shooting of feral deer on 15 February 2022 in Kosciuszko National Park. The review concluded there was no immediate risk to human safety. However, it identified recommendations to improve systems and procedures around notifications and park closures during shooting operations. Review recommendations have been accepted by National Parks and Wildlife Service. A summary of the report's findings is available.
2021 Kosciuszko National Park Wild Horse Heritage Management Plan
This management plan has been prepared to meet the requirements of the Kosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Act 2018 and is the current management plan. The plan was amended by the Minister for the Environment on 23 October 2023.
