New round of culling after brumby population explodes

Brumby numbers have rebounded into the thousands despite efforts to stop scores of invasive species from destroying a famous Alpine national park.

Latest estimates suggest there are at least 6,476 and as many as 16,411 wild horses roaming in Kosciuszko National Park, near NSW’s Victorian border.

The 2025 figures released on Friday showed a significant recovery from the previous year; this recorded a lower estimate of 2131 and the highest number of horses at 5639.

This follows the suspension of aerial culling in March 2025 following a successful reduction in numbers, amid claims the practice was cruel and resulted in some ferals being shot and left to die.

Some culling advocates say the damage done by wild horses to the park’s delicate ecosystem remains widespread and will not stop until the animals are completely removed.

The NSW government is working towards a target of having fewer than 3,000 brumbies legally in the park by mid-2027 under its controversial management plan.

In 2022, when the culling began, the number of horses in the park rose to 23,535; trapping, re-nesting and ground shooting reduced the numbers by only a few thousand.

The introduction of aerial culling in late 2023 has resulted in a significant reduction, with more than 6,000 animals shot down by helicopters.

Aerial shooting will continue in June, and the rehoming of horses from holding areas will begin on Friday.

The National Parks and Wildlife Service will also consider plans for a fertility control trial based on global evidence.

Jack Gough, president of the Invasive Species Council, said cycles of population explosions would continue while large populations were allowed to persist.

‘It’s simple biology; “Control efforts are paused for a year because wild animals do not stop breeding,” he said.

“More horses will need to be culled as a result.”

Mr Gough argued that rehoming and fertility control would not meaningfully reduce horse numbers.

“We are dealing with thousands of wild horses in rugged mountainous terrain,” he said.

The council is also calling for the removal of conservation zones covering 32 per cent of the park under the Kosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Act.

NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe said the latest survey showed much more work was needed to control the population.

“No one wants to have to kill horses. But there are still too many horses in Kosciuszko National Park,” he said.

“We will use the best available science and take a cautious, evidence-based approach to achieve the necessary population target to protect native flora, animals, waterways and cultural values.”