Police are investigating a letter threatening to “firebomb” a New South Wales national parks office in the Snowy Mountains region over the culling of feral horses in the Kosciuszko national park.
The state’s environment minister, James Griffin, said the “disgraceful and unacceptable” behaviour had been reported to NSW police, while the head of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), Atticus Fleming, said the threat “is a criminal act, and should be condemned by all Australians”.
It comes amid fresh tensions over the culling of feral horses that is required under NSW legislation to try to reduce the damage the invasive species are causing to Kosciuszko’s alpine wilderness.
Griffin’s office said the handwritten letter, received by parks staff last week, says “as a little act of retribution we plan to pay a visit ... and firebomb your premises! Make sure you are all very careful over the next couple of weeks, we would hate you to get burnt”.
The state government has also raised concern about comments that have appeared in social media groups. One suggested someone “shoot the dogs” responsible for the horse culls, while another said “they are gonna go one step [too] far and someone is going to start looking for these people”.
“Our NPWS team is dedicated and hardworking and no one should ever be threatened just for doing their job,” Griffin said. “Anyone making such threats should expect to feel the full force of the law.”
Fleming said the parks service was working closely with NSW police and additional security measures were in place to protect workers.
“Threats like this, and the ongoing threats of violence toward NPWS staff on social media, have no place in our society,” he said. “NPWS staff are public officials implementing the law, despite very challenging circumstances.”
The state government is reviewing the implementation of its wild horse management plan following the culling of 11 horses near Kiandra.
Separately, it has paused all ground shooting in the park after allegations of mismanagement were raised in relation to a cull of feral deer in Moonbah in February.
The suspension came after concerns of brumby advocates were aired on radio station 2GB.
Last year, the NSW Coalition reached a deal that ended a long-running internal stoush over feral horse management.
The plan requires the number of horses in the park to be reduced from an estimated 14,380 to 3,000 – a figure conservation groups say is still too high if the government wants to protect vulnerable ecosystems and native wildlife.
The Invasive Species Council said it feared the escalation of abuse levelled at people working in the Kosciuszko national park “begins to normalise violent and dangerous behaviour”.
“Our staff have also received a number of threatening messages in recent weeks, and we take these very seriously,” the council’s conservation director, James Trezise, said.
“It is critical that the government gets on with the difficult job of removing feral horses from the park, and that threats of violence and vandalism are taken seriously by NSW police.”
Anthony Sharwood, author of The Brumby Wars, said he was targeted on social media after he was interviewed on 2GB this week.
In writing The Brumby Wars, Sharwood conducted extensive interviews on both sides of the feral horse debate, which he described as a culture war.
A spokesperson for NSW police said officers from the Monaro police district were investigating after receiving a report of a threatening letter on 23 September.
They said anyone with information should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
