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MELBOURNE - Queensland plans to slaughter 10,000 brumbies, that are damaging fragile habitats in national parks.
The Courier Mail reported that the state government had instructed shooters in some areas to hide the bodies under a plan to conceal the extent of the cull.
More than 4000 feral horses have already been shot in the popular Carnarvon National Park in central Queensland, the newspaper said, and there were plans to kill 10,000 more, citing documents obtained under Freedom of Information laws.
State Sustainability Minister Andrew McNamara said shooting the horses was the most humane option.
"Feral horses are causing serious erosion, spreading weeds, destroying freshwater springs and other water courses, damaging Aboriginal cultural sites, competing with native wildlife for feed, and destroying habitat," he said.
McNamara said the programme would ensure the feral horse population was kept at a manageable level relative to the native wildlife.
There are an estimated 100,000 feral horses in Queensland.
- Reuters
