16/06/2026
Ray Hadley has used his platform on The Daily Telegraph's YouTube channel this week to speak out passionately against the resumption of aerial culling of brumbies in Kosciuszko National Park, describing the practice as cruel, inhumane and barbaric. 🐴👇
Ray Hadley is calling for Australians to stand up for the brumbies. And his argument is hard to ignore.
One of Australia's most recognised voices in media has used his platform this week to speak out passionately against the resumption of aerial culling of brumbies in Kosciuszko National Park, and the points he raises deserve serious attention from every Australian who cares about these iconic animals.
Speaking via The Daily Telegraph's YouTube channel, Hadley raised three core concerns that go to the heart of this debate.
The numbers may not be trustworthy
Hadley cited two independent experts, biostatistician Claire Galea and equine scientist Joanne Kenning, both of whom he says have told him directly that the government's brumby population estimates are deeply flawed. The current official estimate sits somewhere between 6,400 and 16,400 horses, an extraordinarily wide range that the experts say cannot be supported by sound scientific methodology.
Hadley also pointed out a striking inconsistency. The same population counting methodology now being used to justify the brumby cull was previously used to count kangaroo numbers. At the time, NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe herself questioned that methodology in an upper house inquiry, saying the kangaroo numbers it produced could not possibly be accurate. Yet today, Hadley argues, she is accepting the same methodology to justify the culling of brumbies.
The method of killing cannot be humane
Hadley was direct about what aerial culling actually means in practice. The only genuinely humane way to euthanise a horse is a precise shot to the forehead. That level of precision simply cannot be guaranteed from a moving helicopter. The result, he argues, is that horses are being struck in the shoulder, chest, stomach and rump and left to die slowly and in enormous pain. He also raised the deeply distressing issue of pregnant mares being shot and losing their unborn foals in the process.
A broken promise
Perhaps the most pointed part of Hadley's commentary was his reminder of what Penny Sharpe said when she was in opposition. At that time she stated clearly and publicly that there was no way a Labor government would return to aerial culling. Other Labor figures made similar commitments. Today, Hadley notes, those promises have been set aside and the culling has resumed.
Hadley acknowledged this is a battle he has fought before and lost. But he is urging Australians who care about these horses to speak up now, before it is too late.
For Australians who grew up with the legend of the Man from Snowy River, who feel a deep connection to the wild horses of the high country, and who believe there must be a more humane way to manage this situation, his message is a powerful one.
Credit: The Daily Telegraph Channel 🎙️
What do you think of Ray Hadley's argument?
Should Australians be doing more to stop the aerial culling of our brumbies?
Share your thoughts in the comments below. 🐴🏔️🇦🇺
