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Australia approved the aerial shooting of wild horses in one of the country’s largest national parks, resuming a contentious practice that authorities described as “essential” to protect native wildlife.
An estimated 19,000 wild horses — known locally as “brumbies” — live in Kosciuszko National Park, a number that has increased by a third in the last two years.
New South Wales state authorities want to cut the population to 3,000 by mid-2027.
The national park already traps, re-homes and shoots horses from the ground, but the state’s environment minister Penny Sharpe said this was not enough.
“Threatened native species are in danger of extinction and the entire ecosystem is under threat,” she said. “We must take action.
