Major investigation as 500 horses found 'butchered' on Aussie property

According to investigating authorities, the slaughtering of horses on the NSW property had been 'occurring for some time'.

Joe Attanasio
·Senior Reporter
Updated ·2-min read

WARNING – DISTRESSING CONTENT: Authorities are conducting an urgent investigation into how a staggering 500 horse corpses were found butchered on a rural NSW property, with their carcasses discovered dumped "in a dry creek bed".

Wagga Wagga City Council said it was immediately looking at how the bodies came to be at the property, in a multi-agency effort that included officers from NSW Police, the NSW Food Authority, Local Land Services, the Department of Primary Industries and Racing NSW.

Speaking to Yahoo News Australia, a Wagga Wagga City Council spokesperson said there were "in excess of 500 carcasses" found.

Two brown brumby horses are seen here in a stock image.
An astonishing 500 horse corpses have been found dumped in a dry creek on a regional NSW property. Source: Getty

Inspection leads to shocking discovery in creek bed

"Council was supported by NSW Police in investigating reports that horses had been butchered at the property and their carcasses left in a dry creek bed," the spokesperson told Yahoo. "The information led to Council entering the property supported by members of NSW Police, the NSW Food Authority, Local Land Services, the Department of Primary Industries and Racing NSW.

"Initially the focus of the investigation was to confirm whether the carcasses had been left in the dry creek bed and possible offences under the Protection of the Environment Operations Act."

Wagga Wagga's town centre is seen here.
The horses were found in the Wagga Wagga council district in the NSW Riverina region. Source: Getty

Council says slaughtering been taking place 'for some time'

Once the inspection of the property began, it became clear the slaughtering of horses "had been occurring for a long period of time", the spokesperson added.

"Numerous separate dumps of carcasses were discovered at locations throughout the property," he said. "It is estimated that there are in excess of 500 horse carcasses. Some of these carcasses were no more than skeletal remains while others were killed relatively recently.

"Once the extent of the operation had been identified NSW Police and other state government agencies began collecting evidence for possible offences and regulatory actions under a range of NSW State Government legislation."

A spokesperson for the NSW Environment Protection Authority confirmed the authority was aware of the reports.

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