Feral horses and donkeys

Background

Horses arrived in Australia in with the First Fleet and became one of Australia’s first pest animals. Many horses escaped from captivity and more were deliberately released when machines started to be used for manual tasks.

Donkeys arrived in 1866, with the first feral herd being reported in 1920.

Australia is now home to more than 400,000 feral horses and millions of feral donkeys.

Impacts

Feral horses and donkeys compete with cattle for pasture and water. They also:

  • foul waterholes
  • damage native vegetation
  • compact soil
  • compete with native animals for food.

Feral horses can walk up to 50 kilometres a day in search of food and water, and they have few predators and diseases.

Numbers of feral horses and donkeys decrease with drought and bushfires. However, in good seasonal condtions, populations can increase by 20 percent every year.

Feral horses look identical to domestic horses, to which some people have a close affinity. Feral horses can also have economic and cultural value.

Managing feral horses and donkeys

Horses and donkeys must not be released from captivity under the Landscape South Australia Act 2019.

When the impacts of feral horses and donkeys are excessive, control programs are coordinated by landholders, government and landscape boards. This typically involves culling from helicopters.

More information

How to report an established pest animal

If you see an established pest animal, we want to hear about it!

Report sightings via the Feral Scan website or app.

FeralScan
Page last reviewed: 30 Apr 2021

 


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