The Victorian Coalition will end the shooting of wild horses to control their populations if it wins the November state election, despite environmental groups arguing the introduced animals severely damage the natural landscape.
The opposition has vowed to focus on rehoming brumbies rather than eradicating them by hunting from the ground or air.
Last month, Parks Victoria released a tender calling for contractors to deliver the “safe, humane and effective” shooting of feral animals in the Alpine and Barmah national parks. Wild horses are listed as the primary target in the tender document, but deer, foxes, cats, pigs and goats are also included.
Victorian Nationals leader Peter Walsh described brumbies as iconic and said a Coalition government would provide a humane and sustainable approach to managing their populations.
