An East Gippsland buck runner has confirmed the shooting of wild brumbies in the High Country, by Victorian government agencies, commenced at least two to three months ago.
Lewis Benedetti has previously caught and retrained wild horses and then sold them on to be rehomed.
Mr Benedetti has now stopped catching the brumbies because "the numbers are quite thin because they’ve been shooting them".
“In the last few months I’ve counted about 10 horses shot around Cowombat Flat, The Playgrounds and Rocky Plains,” Mr Benedetti said.
“They’ve been trying to keep it a top secret, but everyone knows they’ve been shooting them.”
Mr Benedetti says the horses have been covered with sticks and tree branches.
Information on the Parks Victoria website indicates various track closures in the Alpine National Park and a “coordinated deer and feral animal control program in parks and reserves across Eastern Victoria”.

IMAGE: A wild brumby covered with sticks at The Playgrounds in the Alpine National Park. (PS)