Horse facts

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 14, Issue 639, 4 June 1996, Page 4

Horse facts

• Sarah Hulena suggested in her letter ('Wild horse plan challenged', 28 May) that Massey University researchers had recently found nine dead Kaimanawa wild horse foals.

Unfortunately, she has been misinformed. The deaths that she refers to did not occur recently, and the numbers she quotes are incorrect. As we, the 'Massey University researchers', were not consulted we are not sure where she got these

figures from. We suspect that the numbers she refers to are an incorrect interpretation of data presented by Elissa Cameron at a Massey University seminar. The nine foals that Sarah Hulena refers to were the foals born to freeze-branded mares in the 1994 season (September 1994 to March 1995) that died before

reaching one year of age. Of these, two foals (and a mare) from one social group disappearedbetween 14-18 March, 1 995 . The two foals, which were all the foals from that group, and the mare were found a few weeks later. All three had been shot, and the foals had been butchered. Between 18-25 March 1995 a further three foals from another social group disappeared. The bodies of these three foals were never found. All of the group' s foals disappeared at the same time yet there had been no prior indication of illhealth, which is inconsistent with usual patterns of foal death. Furthermore, the foals disappeared soon after the previous foals' deaths. Consequently, illegal shooting is considered the most likely cause of death. The military police conducted an investigation into the death and disappearance of the five foals and one mare. Following the investigation no further horses from the research population have been killed by illegal shooting. The bodies of two further foals were found and autopsied. Neither had any sign of human involvement in their deaths. The last two foals both died within their first week of life. One was born weak and suckled infrequently from its mother. The other foal was born to a young

mother during a period of disruption in her social group. The bodies of these foals were not found but small foal bodies decay rapidly and are often difficult to find. Neither death is thought to be caused by illegal shooting. This account corrects an inaccuracy in Sarah Hulena' s letter which otherwise presents a worthwhile discussion of wild horse issues.

Elissa

Cameron

and

Wayne

Linklater,

Ecology Department, Massey University.