Brumby round-up draws national interest

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 11, Issue 490, 15 June 1993, Page 7

Brumby round-up draws national interest

BY

JAN

SAVELL

"More vets than horses" was how veterinarian Nigel Coddington described the start of the round up of wild horses grazing in Waiouru's Army Training area, which has attracted national media attention. The controversial live capture of .230 horses is a trial for a larger operation planned for April 1994 if all goes well. Mr Coddington is a past president of the Equine Branch of the New Zealand Veterinary Association. The association will be independently monitoring the horses over the next six months as they are assessed on their ability to adjust to life in captivity. On hand for the capture were a MAF veteri-

narian and a team from Massey University. Along with Department of Conservation staff they were pleasantly surprised by the docility of the horses. "There have been a few disagreements but it is very minor compared to what we expected. There have been no injuries. They're very surefooted animals," said Mr Coddington. Taupo stockman, John Tullock is in charge of the round up operation and the subsequent sale of the horses. He used a team of a dozen experienced stockmen on horseback along with motorcyclists and helicopters to move the horses slowly towards a capture pen and handling yards located in a natural amphitheatre.

In just two days all the horses were rounded up and removed from the Awapatu and Argot basins. Department of Conservation staff plan to monitor the region for a further six months and if the results of the capture are favourable another larger one will take place in April 1994. Before the round up an estimated 2000 horses roamed in the army training area and its surrouncft. DoC staff believe that the high population was putting pressure on at least six rare plant species which are found in the outer parts of the horses' range. DoC's plan involves removing horses from

the central areas (Argot and Awapatu), where the grazing is most favourable. They hope that this will encourage horses from the outlying areas to move inwards, leaving the endangered. tussock in favour of the better pasture. Sewerage The Ruapehu District Council has budgetted $183,000 for upgrading the Raetihi sewerage treatment plant, to cope with the proposed Raetihi meat works. There has been little public information released on the project in recent times, but Mayor Workman told councillors the project was still on _track.