Kosciuszko National Park, one of Australia’s iconic national parks is once again under the spotlight following the release of the 2024 wild horse population survey. The survey released today, was conducted to assess the current population of wild horses within the park and guide future management efforts. The findings have been highly anticipated by conservation scientists and wild horse advocates alike.
PHOTO: Wild horses near Three Mile Creek, Kiandra Plains, northern KNP CREDIT: Reclaim Kosci
Fieldwork for the survey took place between October 27 and November 10 2024, utilising a combination of standard distance sampling (SDS) and mark recapture distance sampling (MRDS) methodologies. These techniques are internationally recognised for their efficacy in estimating populations of large animals across extensive landscapes.
The 2024 results indicated a substantial decline in the wild horse population, with estimates showing significantly lower numbers than projected. According to the survey, the northern Kosciuszko National Park (KNP) block, which was anticipated to have 10,041 horses, recorded just 1,617 horses. Similar trends were observed in the Snowy Plains block where 126 were observed, and 1,150 recorded in the Southern KNP block. The total population estimate of horses across the survey blocks is now 2,793 with a 95 percent confidence level in the estimates reported.
PHOTO: NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service map of areas surveyed.
“The estimates are unexpectedly low,” remarked a spokesperson for the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage. “While we expected some reduction due to removal efforts, the drop was much steeper than anticipated. This might indicate higher emigration out of surveyed areas or heightened evasion responses from horses.”
A notable aspect of the 2024 survey was the implementation of MRDS alongside SDS methodology, which marked a departure from previous surveys that primarily relied on SDS. The MRDS method provides an alternative means of assessing population by incorporating data from multiple observers, thus refining perception biases associated with the main transect line. This methodology resulted in a population estimate range for the survey blocks between 2,131 and 5,639 horses, introducing claimed broader confidence intervals than SDS.
PHOTO: Gurrangorambla Creek, KNP, April 2022 (left) compared to the same place in April 2025 (right) CREDITS: Reclaim Kosci
Another significant change was the adjustment in the survey’s transect design. Transect lines were brought closer together than in previous years to enhance precision. In the northern block, lines were spaced 1.37 km apart, while in the southern block, they had a 1.23 km spacing. To prevent double counting, alternate transects were surveyed on different days. Despite these meticulous designs, statisticians noted increases in associated coefficient variations, highlighting a small level of uncertainty in this year’s results.
Several hypotheses have been proposed to account for the unexpected findings. These include potential migration of horses from surveyed areas and increased alertness and evasive behaviour due to recent aerial control operations. The spokesperson added, “To fully understand these dynamics, we’ve recommended the implementation of a horse radio collar tracking study to provide data on horse movements, which would be invaluable for future surveys.”
The reported dramatic decrease in wild horse numbers brings Kosciuszko National Park closer to the government’s management goal of reducing the wild horse population to 3,000 by June 2027.
How about get out of our park ya grubs! Whinge about a few horses… look at what snowy hydro have done and are still doing to this day! They are the ones destroying it, but let’s blame the horses.