Australia: 334 worms removed from Kosciuszko Park

The Kosciuszko National Park Management Plan has been launched to drastically reduce the wild horse population. More than three hundred bamboos were removed, which was not enough for environmentalists.

Last November, a plan to reduce the number of horses living there Kosciuszko Park was voted. The number of Brumbies was reduced from fourteen to three thousand. The National Parks and Wildlife Service removed 334 wild horses from the park between February and June. Related to ABC. Officials have not announced what will happen to these horses.
One environmental group says wild horse management plans will fail if significant numbers of these populations are not removed. James Trezis of the Invasive Species Council said the numbers were insufficient to monitor breeding rates and targets would not be met. ” In Kosciuszko National Park we have fourteen thousand wild horses and this population is growing by 20% every year. Removing part of it isn’t going to stop that population from actually growing. “, he explains.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service says the decision reflects a gradual rollout of control measures. A recent report says James Tresis State of the environment Shows the impact of invasive species on local ecosystems in Australia. ” Failure to tackle Kosciuszko’s wild horse could mean the irreversible loss of critically endangered ecosystems and native species. James Tresis says.

More transparency is demanded

Brumby advocates have criticized the service for not releasing more information about what happened to wild horses removed from the park. Former Monaro state deputy Peter Cochran said the service would do anything to cover up the activities of the management plan. ” Members of the public do not have to visit Parliament to get information from the National Parks and Wildlife Service », explains the former MP before adding « They don’t release all the numbers because they’re shy about how the management plan works “.
In a statement, the service said it would not release additional details to protect employees, Wild Horses and contractors. ” During the reporting period, some matters were referred to NSW Police involving interference with screening activities and threats against NPWS staff. The National Parks and Wildlife Service explains.

In addition to population control of worms, the management plan includes ecological rehabilitation in areas of the park where horses have been removed.