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In brief
- New estimates reveal the wild horse population in Kosciuszko National Park have surged to as many as 16,411.
- Aerial culling efforts had been put on hold last year, but will now resume.
Brumby populations have surged dramatically, numbering in the thousands, despite concerted efforts to curb their impact on a renowned alpine national park.
Recent assessments indicate that between 6,476 and 16,411 feral horses are currently inhabiting New South Wales’ Kosciuszko National Park, located near the Victorian border.
The 2025 data released on Friday marks a notable increase from the previous year’s estimates, which had the population ranging from 2,131 to 5,639 horses.
This rise follows the suspension of aerial culling in March 2025 after earlier efforts had successfully reduced the numbers. The practice was halted amid concerns of cruelty, as some horses were reportedly shot and left to suffer.
Advocates for culling argue that the damage caused by these wild horses to the park’s delicate ecosystem is extensive and will persist unless the animals are effectively removed.
Under its controversial management plan, the NSW government is working toward a legislated target of less than 3,000 brumbies across the park by mid-2027.
In 2022, when culling began, the number of horses in the park was as high as 23,535, with trapping, rehoming and ground shooting reducing numbers by only a few thousand.
The introduction of aerial culling in late 2023 resulted in a drastic reduction, with more than 6,000 animals shot from helicopters.
‘No one wants to have to kill horses’
Aerial shooting will resume in June, while rehoming of horses from retention areas begins on Friday.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service will also assess plans for a fertility control trial based on global evidence.
Invasive Species Council chief executive Jack Gough said population boom cycles would continue while large populations were allowed to persist.
‘It’s simple biology — feral animals do not stop breeding because control efforts are paused for a year,” he said.
“The consequence of that will be even more horses will need to be culled.”
Gough argued rehoming and fertility control would not meaningfully reduce horse numbers.
“We are dealing with thousands of feral horses across rugged alpine country,” he said.
The council is also calling for the scrapping of retention zones which apply to 32 per cent of the park, introduced 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 in Kosciuszko National Park,” she said.
“We will use the best available science and take a cautious, evidence-based approach to reach the required population target, in order to protect native vegetation, animals, waterways and cultural values.”
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