Talking for the Animals - Bob Kerridge

8 June 2009

THE DECIMATION OF THE KAIMANAWA

One of the things you don’t want to become if you are an animal is to be declared a ‘pest’.

We seem to be very quick in New Zealand to decree pest status on a number of things, animals in particular, and once in that category there is nothing the Animal Welfare Act, animal groups or even a mass of caring public can do to protect or even save you from extinction.

Take the case of the Kaimanawa horses as a painful example.

Their history dates back to 1814 when Samuel Marsden introduced military mounts of differing stock into New Zealand. Eventually many of them assembled in the central North Island Kaimanawa ranges and were recognised back in 1876 as a breed of horses that carried unique genes. Their fame spread abroad and in 1979 they received an International status as ‘globally unique to New Zealand, accordingly protected and listed as a breed in danger of extinction’.

At that stage the herd was about 1,500 in number and as they galloped freely through the vast ranges it was a logical conclusion that they would continue to be a unique and protected species in ‘God’s own’!

But no, in 1996 their protected status was wiped away by the Ministerial pen of Nick Smith, the then Minister of Conservation, they were declared pests needing to be culled (a fate that often befalls ‘introduced species’), and their days were clearly numbered.

No-one really knows why their decimation was necessary, and in fact a variety of reasons were cited, namely that they interfered with Army manoeuvres (the camp is nearby), they were a traffic menace on the Desert Road (although no accidents involving them were recorded) to the need to protect some species of tussock grass that some botanists said were endangered because of the horses.

Whatever the reason, so began the battle to save the Kaimanawa horses. The concern of the New Zealand public was evident from the start which, for a short while stalled the cull. International experts were called in to assist, including The Franz Weber Fondation (who saved the Australian Brumbies) who offered to manage the herd, along with a hard core of horse and animal welfare enthusiasts, eventually all to no avail.

The cull commenced to reduce the herd from 1,500 to 500 – horses were randomly rounded up, some were auctioned off to new homes (possibly to appease the Department’s conscience), some were sent for slaughter whilst some, particularly stallions, were simply shot where they stood. Without the management necessary to retain the genetic uniqueness of the true Kaimanawa the annual culls succeeded in not only reducing the numbers but also to completely destroy the genes of that once rare and protected breed of horses.

Now in the latest crime following hard on the hooves of the previous acts, DoC has announced a further cull to reduce the herd down to 300, with murmurings of 150 before too long – total decimation almost complete.

Of all the crimes against animals the Kaimanawa saga is one of the worst, and those responsible should hang their heads in utter shame. For the horses, the battle is, sadly, lost.

Bob Kerridge
Executive Director
Auckland SPCA

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