A man has been charged with animal cruelty after he was filmed allegedly abusing a horse in the state’s south, NSW Police say.
On Saturday 17 November 2018, a group was camping in the Kosciuszko National Park when they noticed a member of another group placing a lariat around the neck of a tame brumby colt.
It’s alleged the man repeatedly pulled the horse by the lariat, causing it to become visibly distressed and struggle to breath.
A number of witnesses attempted to intervene; however, the man allegedly refused to let go and the horse fell to the ground unconscious.
The horse was lame after the incident and is believed to have suffered injuries.
Another camper filmed the incident and reported it to officers attached to Monaro Police District.
Rural Crime Investigators have been conducting inquiries into the matter in an attempt to identify the man involved.
Following inquiries, police spoke to a 61-year-old man earlier this week.
The Tamworth man has been charged with commit an act of cruelty and capture/snare animal in National Park.
He is due to appear in Cooma Local Court on 6 February 2019.
NSW Police Force State Rural Crime Coordinator, Detective Inspector Cameron Whiteside, said police do not tolerate animal cruelty and all incidents will be thoroughly investigated.
"We strongly encourage members of the public to report any incident of animal cruelty so those involved can be identified and charged," Det Insp Whiteside said.
"In this incident, a member of the public filmed the alleged cruelty and we were able to identify the man involved.
"The footage clearly shows the animal suffered injuries and unfortunately it was not located after the incident so we are not aware of its fate," Det Insp Whiteside said.
