In November 2005 and again in April 2006, using helicopters and sniper shot, the Australian Army killed a total of 1300 wild horses in the High Range military reserve in Queensland, Australia. A similar shoot for a remaining 275 horses in the adjacent State Forest area is scheduled for November this year. History tells us that this is blatantly inhumane.

In 2000, over 600 wild horses were shot from helicopter during a cull in the Guy Fawkes National Park in northern New South Wales. This terrifying method resulted in many horses and foals dying from wounds and starvation. Worldwide condemnation and efforts by Save the Brumbies (www.savethebrumbies.org) and others, helped to set up a humane method of managing horses in New South Wales National Parks and banning aerial shooting in New South Wales. However, in Queensland aerial shooting of wild brumby horses continues, but on a scale and situation that seems even graver.

We the undersigned CONDEMN INHUMANE TREATMENT OF WILD HORSES and call on the Queensland Government to BAN AERIAL SHOOTING AND OTHER INHUMANE PRACTICES as a strategy to manage horses in conservation areas.