SUMMARY

Wild horse management is a contentious issue in the Australian Alps national parks because they are viewed as both a vertebrate pest impacting on the environment and a cultural icon. In 2001, there was an estimated 5 200 ( ± 1 643 SE) wild horses in the Australian Alps national parks (Walter unpublished data). In 2002- 2003 fires affected vast areas of the Australian Alps national parks with unknown consequences for wildlife. One of the primary concern with respect to wild horses is that they survived the fires (because they are highly mobile animals) while much of their habitat was burnt. A post-fire survey was conducted in April 2003 to assess the size of the wild horse population and determine whether animals were concentrated in unburnt habitat. It was estimated that the population halved and is now 2369 ± (800 SE) horses. Horses were not concentrated on unburnt or burnt areas, 69.5 % of groups being sighted in burnt habitat, which is remarkably similar to the proportion of total horse habitat burnt (71.3%). Horse group size observed from the air was smaller post-fire than pre-fire, which was not anticipated. Smaller groups were observed in burnt habitat so it is likely that fire had the effect of reducing group size