| Horses
are, of course, not native to Australia. But ever since the earliest
days of European settlement there have been populations of wild
(or feral) horses which have escaped or been forgotten by their
owners. They quickly established breeding herds and can be
found from the cold alps to the hot, dry deserts (where this
picture was taken). Australians generally call the wild
horses brumbies, although some apply the name only to the alpine
animals.
A family picture, where the animals
are well fed and have healthy foals, is a sight many Australians
have grown to love. But Australian soils and ground-dwelling
plants are poorly adapted to hard-hoofed animals and as a result
brumbies can cause great damage to natural ecosystems if their
numbers are left unchecked.
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