The bodies of hundreds of slaughtered horses were discovered on a rural property, prompting a major investigation by authorities.
More than 500 bodies were found lying in a dry creek bed on the property near Wagga Wagga in the NSW Riverina.
The dead horses were dumped in numerous locations on the property, according to Wagga Wagga Council.
Some were nothing more than skeletal remains, while others appeared to have been killed more recently.
The council has now launched an urgent investigation in collaboration with NSW Police and other state authorities.
The NSW Riverina town of Wagga Wagga has been rocked by the discovery of 500 horses found dead in a dry creek bed.
“Initially the aim of the investigation was to confirm whether the bodies had been abandoned in the dry creek bed and possible breaches under the Environment Protection Operations Act,” council chief executive Peter Thompson said.
‘Once the inspection of the property began, it became clear that horse slaughter had been occurring for a long period of time.
‘Numerous separate body deposits were discovered in different locations on the property.
“Once the scope of the operation was identified, NSW Police and other state government agencies began collecting evidence of potential crime and regulatory actions under a range of NSW state government laws.”
NSW Police confirmed it provided assistance to council officers as part of the investigation.
“Any further inquiries should be directed to the council as the investigation continues,” a spokeswoman said.
New South Wales Police are investigating the deaths of more than 500 horses in collaboration with other authorities.