luv4horsez

A few moments ago I read on the internet the following...

Delay for firing squad
By TERRY BUTTS
26sep06
WILD brumbies facing death by helicopter sniper fire in the ranges around Rollingstone and Paluma national parks may have been given a reprieve – at least temporarily.

The Environmental Protection Agency, in a carefully-worded response to what has developed into a highly emotive issue, said that aerial control was one of several options being considered to manage feral horses in the area.

The statement added that 'measures to reduce the number of feral horses was necessary because of the safety concerns along Bruce Highway and for visitors to the area'.

The EPA also expressed concern about the environmental impact the animals are having on the QPWS-protected Clemant State Forest – a claim hotly disputed by other authorities including a Rollingstone-based archeologist.

Two weeks ago, Ingham-based QPWS head ranger Ross Domin confirmed the department was evaluating a plan to cull the brumbies.

A tentative budget of $20,000 had been set and dates in November were being considered, he said.

A Defence Department spokesman also confirmed that 1300 horses were shot, with the approval of the RSPCA late last year, at the High Range training ground.

The revelations caused uproar among animal conservationists around the country.

Gatton-based founder of Brumby Watch, Lyall Sempf, is highly critical of the EPA and any suggestion of a helicopter cull of brumbies. He pointed out it was illegal in NSW to shoot animals from a moving platform since the RSPCA took the National Parks and Wildlife Service in that state to court and won an historical case over the brutal massacre of brumbies in the Guy Fawkes National Park in 2000.

Mr Sempf called on new Queensland Environment Minister Lindy Nelson-Carr to act immediately and call off the cull.

Ms Nelson-Carr was sworn in recently to her new portfolio and her office indicated late last week that she had no intention of getting embroiled in the brumby issue, stating simply it was 'a departmental matter'.

But Mr Sempf said it was time for politicians to stop abrogating responsibility.

"It is her call and she should act before the department goes in with guns blazing," he said.

Another animal welfare charity, Save The Brumbies, has threatened to 'expose this outrage worldwide'.

Founder Jan Carter said the Queensland Government was about to make world headlines 'as the most barbaric butchers since the Dark Ages'.

"The slaughter (in November) is timed to coincide with mares foaling – and they will be shot to die in agony while giving birth.

"What is the RSPCA doing?" she demanded.

Ms Carter claims the Australian brumby is not a feral pest but a national icon.

She said her organisation had placed 260 brumbies taken from the Guy Fawkes National Park over the past two years and that there was a waiting list from people wanting to adopt them.

Austraia's wild horse, the Brumby, has had a major effect on how we live and other ways of life, such as names and history.
Not only are they the descendants of the Waler horses who fought in the wars for us, they are also a part of Australian history, and play a bigger part in it than what most people think.
Here are some such things that have ALL played a part in our history, all thanks to Brumbies. (this was copied from http://www.horsepoint.com.au/portal/alias__horsepointau/tabID__3435/ArticleID__2092829/DesktopDefault.aspx )

First and foremost I believe we need to examine our feelings about the place of the brumby as an icon in Australian culture and history. I would think most Aussies have grown up with at least some knowledge of The Man From Snowy River, Banjo Patterson's epic poem about the high country and the men who ride that range. So entrenched in our culture has that poem become that it was made into a film, a theatrical spectacular and now part of a nightly show on the Gold Coast. Not to mention the high country horse riding businesses that take riders to the steep descent where the famous ride took place in the film.

The poem celebrates the tough and die hard nature of the Australian bushmen and the mountain-bred horses they ride, making a hero out of a battler and his pony.

Similarly, Elyne Mitchell authored many books about the brumbies in her Silver Brumby series. Written as children's books in the 70's, 80's and 90's and with the title The Silver Brumby also made into a film, the books combined a love of the Australian high country and the wild horses. Ostensibly they were horse stories for kids made relevant to our culture because they were set in Australia but I wonder if there was not some underlying motive? In generating a love for the wild horses was there also the possibility that Ms. Mitchell hoped to protect their future?

Another author that captured the spirit of the wild Australian Horses was Mary Elwyn Patchett who wrote "The Brumby" and "Come Home Brumby" in the 1970's; we studied the latter novel for English Literature when I was in High School.

The ACT Brumbies thought enough of our wild horses to name their Rugby team after them; and Subaru released a 4 x 4 model called the Brumby; meanwhile Barry Humphrey's wife Lizzie Spender went bush to catch and ride her own wild horse, and then wrote a book about it called The Wild Horse Diaries. Never mind the fact that we have a national chain of bakery stores called "Brumby's"!!!

So brumbies have found their place not only in our history but our literature, media, mythology, sport, automotives, culture and modern day tourism. In America, a cull would not be thought of because they have protected the Mustang as something of relevance to history and culture. I believe we should do the same. It is a nagging question as to how or why we can kill an animal so steeped in our history, culture and folklore.

PAST EXPERIANCES

In 2000, a brumby cull was organised, and went ahead, in New South Wales (NSW). 600+ horses were killed by sniper rifle bullets, shot from a helicopter.
After this event, brumby culling in NSW from helicopter was made illegal after the public outcry.
During the cull, a mare was shot while giving birth to a foal, and was left to die in agony WHILE giving birth. Also, another brumby was shot, fell from the shot, broke it's leg and suffered in pain for two weeks AFTER being shot before the poor creature actually passed on. When it did, it was from stress, dehydration and it's broken leg and wound.

The brumby cull, organised (and TEMPORARILY DELAYED) for this November was organised to 'finish off' the remaining 200+ brumbies left alive after last years (and April 06) cull in the same area.
The horses, who are claimed to be a pest, are being killed because they might 'harm the visitors.' I can understand the dangers on Bruce Highway in the area, as horses (if hit) can do a lot of damage to themselves, and the driver, but a brumby would much rather RUN AWAY than attack a visitor to the VEGETATED FOREST.

Because of drought in Australia, the brumbies find it hard to find areas that are well VEGETATED, and so many die from dehydration and lack of feed, those who don't are shot or put down to save them the suffering of the drought. However, the CLEMANT STATE FOREST and PALUMA RANGE NATIONAL PARK are well vegitated and so the brumbies choose to stay there due to the good feed and water supply. These brumbies are being SHOT for wanting to survive.

In the wild, horses seek out good grazing and water to supply good health to the WHOLE HERD, they don't think for themselves. So if a brumby chooses to live and survive in these areas they should be let, considering that Australia is so hot and droughts occur nearly every year, this year (2006) being one of the worst we've had for centuries.

Therefore, the brumbies should be left to live in these Vegitated places because there really is no where else for them to go that will ensure their survival and continuation of this wild breed.

OTHER INFORMATION

The government has 'reviewed' several options in removing the brumbies from the area. However, they decided that shooting them was the best solution. While there is a waiting list for poeple wanting to adopt a brumby, it amazes people why the government hasn't tried what the BLM of America already does, herding in mustangs from the range and selling them to people who would like to adopt one.
Not only would the government make money from this, also the horses would be able to survive.

Another suggestion, made by a few people, is that colts could be gelded and mares made infertile. This may work for a while, but sooner or later people are going to want brumbies to be 'repopulated' when the species starts to go down hill, so this may not be such a great idea. ALSO, in the case of colts being gelded, they would be left in the wild, causing major changes to herds. Sure, a gelding might still be able to steal a few mares and own a herd of his own, but he will not be able to sire any foals.
It has also been prooven that Stallions are many times stronger than geldings. A gelding is more likely to die in a fight rather than a stallion. This is because of the hormomes that run through a stallion, giving him the strength and will he needs for him and his herd to survive and for him to be able to protect his herd from danger, such as feral dogs, other stallions and other predators.

Piczo