For the first time since the recommencement of aerial shooting the number of horses removed from Kosciuszko National Park will exceed the annual growth in horse populations.
This has given rise to hopes that a major threat to fragile ecosystems in the park are starting to be addressed.
Data released by the Minns government shows 5,539 horses have been killed since aerial shooting resumed late last year, and a further 427 horses were removed through other methods, such as trapping and rehoming and ground shooting,
Under NSW law, the government must reduce the number of feral horses in the park to 3,000 by 2027.