Five years since feral horses spotted on K’gari

Decades after it was first thought all the feral horses were gone from the world heritage listed island, rangers have declared the last remaining brumbies had died of natural causes and K’gari was horse-free for the first time since they were introduced in the 1800s.

A photo of feral horses on K'gari captured in 2014.

It has been five years since the last feral horse sighting on K’gari, with the latest air and ground searches revealing no fresh evidence.

A Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation statement on Thursday said ground and drone searches in 2022 and 2024 involving research fellow Dr Dave Berman from the University of Southern Queensland had discovered no horses.

The Fraser Coast Chronicle revealed the presence of the brumbies in 2014, decades after it was first believed they had all been removed from the island.

In 2016, DETSI received a report of eight feral horses spotted by a tourism officer north of Moon Point.

Then in 2019, monitoring cameras captured footage of one of the few remaining feral horses on the island.

A photo of a feral horse on K'gari captured in 2019.

Senior ranger Linda Behrendorff said trail cameras had not captured any images of horses since the last confirmed sighting in 2019 around the the Exploration Break northern inland area.

“Rangers haven’t found any evidence of feral horses during ecological monitoring in the northern lakes area, routine patrols, planned burn operations and weed control programs,” Dr Behrendorff said.

“Feral horses weren’t compatible with K’gari’s natural and cultural values, and we believe the last horse died naturally, which is great news for K’gari’s unique environment.

“The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service would like to thank everyone who helped with our historical relocation project to remove the horses from the island.

“Those feral horses competed with native animals for food and water resources and had the potential to spread weeds throughout the island.

“Horses can cause significant damage to the coastal foredunes, natural waterways and grassed camping areas, resulting in erosion and changes in vegetation due to selective grazing.

“Visitors and residents may recall some habituated horses became assertive, approaching and kicking vehicles and biting people.

A photo of a feral horse on K'gari captured in 2019.

“Adult healthy feral horses were too big to be hunted by dingoes, and while there was evidence of dingoes feeding on young and dead feral horses, they were not part of their usual diet.

“We will continue to monitor for feral horses on K’gari especially after flood events where they may potentially swim across from the mainland.

“We’re asking residents and visitors to report any horses or other potential feral threats such as pigs, cats or foxes they might see.”

Horses were first introduced to K’gari in the late 1800s where they were bred for the English army in India and later used to haul timber for the logging industry.

The feral horses on the island were descended from leftover stock, were not regarded as a specialised breed and by 1990 were considered a serious threat to the landscape.

A photo of feral horses on K'gari captured in 2014.

In 2000, the feral horse population was estimated at 30, and they grazed in house yards, approached people aggressively for food and galloped through townships.

In 2003, rangers from the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service worked with a rehoming organisation to capture feral horses and transport them off the island.

he feral horses were slowly habituated with hay and molasses and enticed into portable yards. By August 2005, 28 feral horses had been removed from the island and rehomed on the mainland.

QPWS rangers implemented an ongoing monitoring program using trail cameras and on-ground searches for hoof-prints and droppings.

Over the years, residents or visitors to the island reported feral horse sightings, but there has been no evidence of feral horses since the last confirmed sighting in 2019.