Location of alleged slaughtered horses revealed

Authorities are undertaking the gruesome task of counting the carcasses of hundreds of slaughtered horses found dumped in southern NSW. See the latest.

Authorities are undertaking the gruesome task of counting the carcasses of hundreds of horses slaughtered and dumped at a property near Wagga Wagga.

Some neighbours within the tight-knit farming community at Marrar, Coolamon and Downside say they could smell strong odours from the rotting corpses, coming from the property in question for weeks.

However, others say they had no idea and find it hard to believe that so many horses could be dead at the location.

It comes as horse trader Adrian Talbot told media he was sure his property was the one being investigated, but denied any wrongdoing.

Mr Talbot told ABC radio the number of carcasses on his property was between 30 and 40, from animals slaughtered for pet food for his dogs.

Mr Talbot has not responded to calls from The Weekly Times.

Wagga Wagga City Council, NSW Local Land Services and NSW Police began a multi-agency investigation after they were alerted to an alleged large-scale horse slaughtering operation.

A person who had attended the property this week, and did not want to be named, said authorities were counting the number of horses heads or skulls to determine the overall number that had allegedly been slaughtered.

There were horses in various states of decomposition and piles of skeletal remains.

A source told The Weekly Times the dead horses were found near a dry creek bed; it’s believed up to 300 of the carcasses were from brumbies and the others were unknown breeds.

The NSW Police Media Unit has confirmed police have provided assistance to Wagga Wagga City Council and the investigation was continuing.

Wagga Wagga City Council has confirmed, in a statement on Thursday, that it was continuing to investigate but did not comment further.

Wagga Wagga state MP Wes Fang said he would take the council on its word in regards to the number of horses found dead.

“Regardless of the number of horses that have been slaughtered at what is an alleged unapproved knackery, it is a concerning situation that would appear to have a number of unaddressed animal welfare considerations,” Mr Fang said.

Wes Fang MLC. Picture: James Gourley

Mr Fang said the RSPCA were reported to have visited the site and not taken action.

“This needs to be examined further,” he said.

Mr Fang serves on an animal welfare committee, which is already doing an investigation into the aerial culling of the brumbies in Kosciuszko National Park.

“I believe we will be using our powers, to expand into a fourth day of hearings, specifically to look at this issue. This should occur sometime in early May,” he said.

Both Mr Fang and Wagga Wagga MP Dr Joe McGirr have called for a parliamentary inquiry into the alleged mass horse slaughter.

NSW Farmers board member and Wagga Wagga farmer Alan Brown said people in the rural community found any form of animal cruelty abhorrent.

He said he would watch for the pending results of an investigation and hoped for a satisfactory outcome so that something like this would not happen again.

“It is unusual to see this type of behaviour in our agricultural community, and we hope the authorities come to the necessary outcome and the offender or offenders are dealt with appropriately,” he said.

Wagga farmer, Alan Brown. Picture: Brad Newman