Feral horses to be shot from the air at Kosciuszko national park as entire ecosystem ‘under threat’

Feral horses at the Kosciuszko national park are to be culled from the air amid concerns of their impact on the native ecosystem. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

Feral horses in Kosciuszko national park will be shot from the air following a public consultation process, with the New South Wales environment minister, Penny Sharpe, declaring it essential for protecting the park’s threatened wildlife and ecosystems.

Sharpe said the decision to amend the park’s management plan to allow aerial culling of feral horse populations came after 82% of 11,002 submissions from stakeholders supported the measure in addition to other existing control methods.