Doc Shoots 42 Kaimanawa Horses....

KWHWT Inc.'s Response To The Aerial Shooting Of 42 Wild Horses (August 2008)

The Kaimanawa Wild Horse Welfare Trust Inc is appalled that the Department of Conservation have shot 42 Wild Kaimanawa Horses from the Northern Region of the Kaimanawa Ranges.
Whilst the Trust understands that the Department of Conservation has acted in accordance with the Kaimanawa Horse Management Plan, the group has campaigned long and hard to put a stop to aerial slaughter.

There were 28 horses killed in army zone 9. This group of horses comprised of 8 colts, 12 mares, and 8 juveniles. There were 14 horses killed in army zone 8. This group was made up of 8 colts, 4 mares and 2 juveniles. The Kaimanawa Wild Horse Welfare Trust is very disappointed in the Department of Conservation’s decision to carry out the slaughter, as a number of horses were successfully mustered and homed from this area in the 2008 muster.

The Kaimanawa Wild Horse Welfare Trust appreciate the difficulty involved in mustering from these two zone’s, however the Kaimanawa Wild Horse Welfare Trust are deeply disappointed that there was no consultation prior to the slaughter of this number of horses.

Although not favoured by the Department of Conservation the use of the immuno- contraception vaccine is an approved herd management option included in the Kaimanawa Wild Horse Plan. A one shot vaccine is now available and the Kaimanawa Wild Horse Welfare Trust would prefer to see a managed herd remain on the Kaimanawa Ranges in preference to the Annual muster and slaughter.

Each year the Kaimanawa Wild Horse Welfare Trust has gone from strength to strength in the endeavour to find appropriate homes for large numbers of mustered horses. This year the Kaimanawa Wild Horse Welfare Trust was unable to meet the demand of applications for young Kaimanawa Horses.




If you would like to know WHY this happened like it did feel free to email our Minister of Conservation, the Honorable Steve Chadwick (female) at steve.chadwick@parliament.govt.nz

Will get some emails of the powers that be in DoC too and put them up soon. Plenty of excuses and lies but in reality none of them are valid ones! Bloody disgusting!