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Barmah brumbies saved from starvation

By Contributed

Nov 15, 2022

Urgent mission: Volunteers move hay to marooned brumbies earlier this month.

Parks Victoria is moving to supply fodder to stranded brumbies in the Barmah National Park after the situation was highlighted by the Barmah Brumby Preservation Group.

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The group had been supplying donated feed to the brumbies by boat and air drop after they were marooned on islands in the forest due to flooding from the Murray River.

Up to 120 were on one sandhill.

The fate of the brumbies has been a point of contention, with Parks Victoria and management partners Yorta Yorta Nations wanting to remove them from the park, while the preservation group wants a managed population to remain.

Parks Victoria sees the animals as feral and says they are causing damage to the natural environment, while the preservation group says they have been part of the park history for at least 180 years.

Last week, the preservation group warned the brumbies were in danger of starving in the flooded forest and the flood management organisation, the Incident Control Centre, directed Parks Victoria to provide fodder for the horses.

This was due to happen this week.