Victorian Brumbies to be shot early June 2022

The Australian Brumby Alliance Inc. (ABA) strongly objects to Parks Victoria (PV) calling for tender toshoot Brumbies in the Vic Alps, Bogong High Plains and Barmah national parks1 while there are stillrehomers with space waiting to receive these sentient, wild horses – at this very moment, PV’s statement of obligations2 explains that “effective communication with the community and keystakeholders is critical to the successful development and delivery of major policies. This is bestpractice. Poor practice is killing healthy horses when rehoming space exists, thus denying them anydomestic future; until PV call meeting of relevant stakeholders to see how rehoming can… Continue reading

Kosciuszko Brumby Traps Sabotaged

ABA Media Release – 10 March 2022 The ABA does not support behaviour, nor efforts to deny Brumbies, being trapped by National Parks andWildlife Services (NPWS), a chance to be rehomed to domestic life. The majority of Brumby supporters aresaddened by the high Brumby numbers being removed per the KNP management Plan, but we now have aKNP management plan that will retain a Brumby population of 3,000 in Kosciuszko National Park (KNP). Pictures of dismantled traps posted on social media recently by people will not result in further negation asthey wanted; instead, it just escalates emotive anti-brumby environmentalist’s calls to… Continue reading

ABA response to 4 Corner 21 Feb 2022 Program

“The battle over Australia’s brumbies intensifies in a clash of culture, colonialism and conservation” airedby Four Corners late February 2022 contained beautiful scenery and majestic wild Horses, views from sidesof the Brumby debate, but their focus on aggression hijacked the program’s attempt at “balance”. A responsible approach is to lower aggression through calm, rational debate around the SAME TABLE hasresulted in workable solution, such as for New Zealand’s Kaimanawa Heritage Horses management. Victoria’s Deer Control Strategy (VDCS) Vic 2020 long term vision is that: Deer are no longer significantlyimpacting on priority environmental, agricultural and Aboriginal cultural heritage values and public… Continue reading

Introduced species are animals too: why the debate over compassionate conservation is worth having

Wild horses roaming the Snowy Mountains have long been the subject of fierce debate. Some say they’re feral pests destroying Kosciuszko National Park’s fragile native ecosystem. Others argue they’re national icons and an important part of Australia’s colonial heritage. This issue was the subject of last night’s ABC Four Corners episode. But the current debate misses one crucial perspective: that of the wild horses, whose fate is being decided. This is a perfect example of why the new movement of compassionate conservation raises the question of the animals’ interests in debates about conservation. Compassionate conservationists ask whether it’s ethical to… Continue reading