AERIAL CULLING TO COMMENCE IN THE GUY FAWKES RIVER NATIONAL PARK MONDAY 17TH FEBRUARY 2020
This cull has been ordered by NPWS as part of the ‘fire recovery pest program’. The letter received from Darren Pitt, Northern Tablelands area, NPWS is ambiguous and does NOT identify target species. Attempts to confirm with NPWS if horses are a target NPWS will not confirm in writing any guarantee that horses will not be targeted.
What you need to know:
These Heritage horses are under a management plan that is overseen by the Horse Reference Group. STB Inc. and GFHHA have been members of this group since the inception fifteen years ago. This cull has been planned WITHOUT consultation with the Horse Reference Group and the HRG was NOT notified of a proposed cull. The HRG does NOT condone aerial culling. Aerial culling has been banned since the horrific slaughter of wild horses in GFRNP in 2000. This recent decision has been made without consultation with GFHHA, STB Inc, Aboriginal elders, custodians of the land and/or the general public. The fires in GFRNP occurred in September 2019. The park has received significant rain fall since then and the feed availability for all species has improved greatly. RSPCA conducted welfare checks on animals in the park after the fires, if there was NOT a welfare problem back then, why was this NOT addressed ??
STB Inc. and GFHHA rehoming programs have been running successfully for sixteen years. Guy Fawkes horses are in high demand and there is a waiting list of people wanting to take horses and for the NPWS trapping program to provide horse numbers to the public. Feral animals in the GFRNP include horses, cattle and a small amount of deer. Due to the fires, neighboring farming properties are recovering and have fences that still require repair, consequently some of the cattle within the park have escaped from these properties and found their way into the Guy Fawkes and as the GFRNP is CLOSED, has been since September 2019, recovery of these animals has been unachievable. STB Inc. and GFHHA have worked very closely with NPWS for nearly twenty years. Both organizations are very disappointed and concerned that this news was NOT communicated directly to us, rather, this information was forwarded by members of the public. If you wish to support these Heritage horses and ensure their safety from aerial bullets please see the contacts below and make your voice heard. The GFRNP comes under the jurisdiction of the Glen Innes office, phone number for that office is (02)67390700. Relevant email addresses are:
Ne**************@en*********.au
Ma********@en*********.au
On behalf of the horses we thank you for your support.
