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Surge in feral horse numbers threatens Australian Alps |
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Written by hneg coordinator
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Tuesday, 23 March 2010 |
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Feral horse numbers are out of control in the Australian Alps, with the population more than tripling in size since 2003.
The figures, released by the Federal Government's Australian Alps National Parks Cooperative Management Program recently, also show that feral horse numbers are increasing at close to the fastest breeding rate that nature allows.
The results have led the Invasive Species Council to call for aerial shooting in Kosciuszko National Park, one of the areas hardest hit by the population surge.
Fearl horses damage the slow- growing alpine and sub-alpine plants of the Australian Alps, foul wetlands, trample vegetation, erode streams, spread weeds, create a veast network of tracks and threaten the safety of motorists.
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