The inseparable trio was increasingly observed grazing in parks and gardens in Pine Creek, and they even trespassed into the nearby mango farm. In doing so, they repeatedly crossed the busy Stuart Highway, posing a significant risk of accidents. The situation called for urgent action. Hence, we decided to capture the horses in a gentle manner and move them to safety at our Wild Horse Sanctuary Bonrook. Using motorcycles or cars to round them up was out of the question for us. This method is rarely successful, extremely stressful for the horses, and often leads to injuries.

Rescue Operation Shifted
To successfully bring the horses to safety, I implemented carefully planned measures. Firstly, I strategically positioned hay bales in Pine Creek to attract the horses and integrate them into a regular feeding routine. However, I soon realized the horses were mostly on the mango farm. Therefore, the entire rescue operation was shifted to the mango farm, in coordination with the plantation owner.

Loading and Transport to Bonrook
The horses quickly embraced the provided feed. I constructed a temporary enclosure using mobile panels. The animals adapted well to entering and exiting through the gate to access the food. After feeding the horses in this manner for about ten days, the rescue operation entered its final phase: I quietly closed the gates behind the horses, gently lured them onto the loading ramp and into the horse transporter. From there, I safely transported them to Bonrook.

Here at Bonrook, they reside in safety and good health. The light-Pinto gelding goes by the name Willow, the brown one is Rancher, and the Palomino is called Stryker. Currently, they share a spacious pasture with the recently rescued brumby stallion, Dandy. Dandy is familiar with the three newcomers from previous encounters, and they all get along well. We are considering releasing them into the wild of the 495-square-kilometer Bonrook Wild Horse Sanctuary in the near future.

More information:

• Our project page “Wild Horse Sanctuary in Australia”
• This article was first published in the Journal Franz Weber 146. You can find the PDF version of all previous magazines here.
• You have not yet subscribed to our quarterly magazine, the Journal Franz Weber? Order the latest issue for free here (in German and French only).