Ecological and human dimensions of management of feral horses in Australia: a review

Nimmo, Dale G.; Miller, Kelly K.

doi:10.1071/wr06102

Cited by 97 publications

(72 citation statements)

References 65 publications

(119 reference statements)

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“…Freeranging horses tend to lack legitimacy in this professional culture, too, but in this case it is because of their perceived status as an introduced species, among professionals who place high value on certain reference states for ecosystem integrity. This perspective was reflected among participants in this study (IN12; IN07; IN14; IN08), and is consistent with studies of professional resource managers in other regions coping with free-ranging horses (Symanski 1994;Rikoon 2006;Nimmo and Miller 2007).…”

Section: The Vernacular Wildsupporting

confidence: 82%

The “Wild” or “Feral” Distraction: Effects of Cultural Understandings on Management Controversy Over Free-Ranging Horses (Equus ferus caballus)

2011

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Use of the terms "wild" and "feral" characterizes ongoing debate over management of free-ranging horses. However, the focus on terminology tends to obscure complex differences in meanings and cultural perception. Examining a case study in the Chilcotin region of British Columbia, we explore how the terms "wild" and "feral" distract from the underlying issues at stake in management of horses and the landscape: different ways of valuing, understanding, and relating to land and animals. To be effective in the long term, and to avoid an unwitting continuation of outdated culturally biased land management practices, future decisions regarding management of lands and free-roaming horses in the Chilcotin would benefit from an integrated process informed by both ecological and socio-cultural information.

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Section: The Vernacular Wildsupporting

confidence: 82%

The “Wild” or “Feral” Distraction: Effects of Cultural Understandings on Management Controversy Over Free-Ranging Horses (Equus ferus caballus)

2011

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“…The ability to safely immobilise feral horses for the attachment of telemetry equipment or collection of health and physiological data is important for the understanding of the biology of the species. The practicality of capture techniques is an important consideration for managers to facilitate live removal or euthanasia of feral horses during management operations where lethal methods are not acceptable (Chapple 2005;Nimmo and Miller 2007). The ability to capture feral horses in the TTSF and similar land tenures by chemical immobilisation will advance current non-lethal management options which are primarily based on mustering and trapping (Berman 2013).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the efficacy of medetomidine and tiletamine–zolazepam for remote immobilisation of feral horses (Equus caballus)

et al. 2014

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Methods. Nine feral horses were darted from the ground with 60 mg of medetomidine and 1500 mg of tiletamine-zolazepam. The effects of medetomidine were reversed with 50-100 mg of atipamezole 30-40 minutes post induction (IV/IM). Physiological variables monitored during anaesthesia were heart rate, respiratory rate, temperature and oxygen haemoglobin saturation (S p O 2 ). 2Key results. All horses were successfully immobilised with between one and three darts (n = 9). The mean dose of medetomidine was 0.15 ± 0.01 mg kg -1 (SEM) and tiletaminezolazepam was 3.61 ± 0.16 mg kg -1 . Mean time from darting to lateral recumbency was 13 ± 2.7 min, and mean recumbency time was 54 ± 13 min. Vital signs for all anaesthetised animals remained within normal range during anaesthesia, with the exception of one animal displaying a transient drop in S p O 2 . No mortalities were encountered.Key conclusions. The combination of medetomidine and tiletamine-zolazepam provided adequate anaesthesia in feral horses in the field for application of GPS collars.Implications. Although a limited number of horses were immobilised, this study shows that medetomidine and tiletamine-zolazepam provides effective short-term anaesthesia for feral horses, providing a practical and field-accessible capture technique. This method could also be applied to other management actions requiring safe and humane capture of feral horses.

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“…In Argentina, De Villalobos and Zalba (2010) found a negative association between total biomass and the presence of feral horses, and a positive association between the presence of forbs and bare soil and feral horses. However, effective control of feral horses remains a challenge due to various technical and social problems associated with the options available to land managers (Linklater et al, 2004;Nimmo & Miller, 2007;Reed, 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Monitoring the impact of feral horses on vegetation condition using remotely sensed fPAR: A case study in Australia's alpine parks

Porfirio¹,

Lefroy²,

Hugh³

et al. 2017

Parks

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Throughout the world, feral horses (Equus caballus) are causing environmental degradation and a decline in ecological integrity. Evidence from scientific monitoring is needed to inform the public debate and help land managers make informed decisions. We used field observations of vegetation condition at a network of sites in the Australian Alps where horses were present or absent. The data were combined with the remotely -sensed fraction of photosynthetic active radiation (fPAR) and topographic condition. Vegetation condition was assessed in the field by rangers using a modified version of the Landscape Function Analysis (LFA) index. We found significant differences in the LFA index between sites where horses were present or absent. Sites with presence of horses have 10 per cent lower fPAR than sites with absence of horses. The results also indicated a significant correlation between LFA and fPAR. Our analysis supports the hypothesis that feral horses have a negative impact on the condition of Australian alpine vegetation. This study provides a useful and relatively cost-effective method for monitoring the impact of feral horses on native vegetation, and can be used to support decision making and management interventions.

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Ecological and human dimensions of management of feral horses in Australia: a review

Cited by 97 publications

References 65 publications

The “Wild” or “Feral” Distraction: Effects of Cultural Understandings on Management Controversy Over Free-Ranging Horses (Equus ferus caballus)

The “Wild” or “Feral” Distraction: Effects of Cultural Understandings on Management Controversy Over Free-Ranging Horses (Equus ferus caballus)

Assessing the efficacy of medetomidine and tiletamine–zolazepam for remote immobilisation of feral horses (Equus caballus)

Monitoring the impact of feral horses on vegetation condition using remotely sensed fPAR: A case study in Australia's alpine parks

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