Mass death of feral horses discovered in scorching, dry Central Australian waterhole
ABC,
24 January, 2019
A mass feral horse death at the base of a dry waterhole in Central Australia has been blamed on an extreme heatwave in the region.
Around two dozen brumbies in various stages of decomposition have been discovered strewn along a 100-metre stretch of a swimming spot called Deep Hole, 20 kilometres from the remote community of Santa Teresa.
The region has hit a record 12-day run of temperatures above 42 degrees Celsius, and it is poised to hit 13 days in Alice Springs on Wednesday.
Arrernte artist and activity engagement officer Ralph Turner stumbled upon the grim scene last week after he travelled to the location to assess how the heatwave had affected the pool's water levels.
He said it was the first time he had ever seen anything like it.
"We we found all these poor horses, all perished," Mr Turner said.
"We've been having hot weather, day after day.
"I just couldn't believe something like that happened out here, first time it happened like that."
Horses may have died of dehydration and heat
The Red Centre has been scorching under an unprecedented heatwave for much of the summer.
In Alice Springs, around 80km from Santa Teresa, the town's airport on Tuesday eclipsed the longest stretch of days above 42C since the weather station opened in 1940.
Santa Teresa media mentor Rohan Smyth said the temperatures in the community were usually around 5C hotter than in the Alice township.
"The wild horses have gone down there looking for their water which is normally there, and it's not been there, so essentially they've just had nowhere to go," Mr Smyth said.
"And unfortunately they've just perished from the dehydration and the heat, so it's pretty shocking stuff."
Feral horse deaths hit community
Residents of Santa Teresa have a long, rich connection with horses, a species introduced to Australia and used for local race meets, as well as playing a part in the region's stockman history.
Mr Smyth said many people in the community were now "deeply concerned about the welfare of the local wild horse population".
"There's a lot of horses here in town, and a lot of them are used for school projects and stuff, and they sort of live around the town centre, and a few of them are broken in," Mr Smyth said.
"But the really wild horses, they don't come into town at all so they can't get any of that water that is in town.
"They are feral animals, so essentially they do have an impact on the environment, and they do use up the resources that other animals might use.
"But it's still pretty horrible to know that they've had to suffer in that extreme way."
The Red Centre heatwave has affected animals across the region. Mr Turner said he heard about a mass death of camels near the border community of Docker River.
Earlier in January, the NT Primary Industries Department released a statement warning pet owners to be mindful of the risk of heat stroke in dogs
Animals dying of thirst in central Australia may be culled as 2,500 camels shot in WA
Central Land Council could carry out emergency cull of 120 horses, goats and donkeys that are dying in heatwave
Australia Heatwave: Port Augusta hits 49.5C (121 deg F) in South Australia as 25 heat records tumble and the fish die-off crisis continues
Photo The Guardian Menindee Lakes: hundreds of thousands of fish dead in Murray-Darling basin Port Augusta was the hottest place in South Australia when it hit 49.5C at 4.22pm, one of 25 heat records that fell today.
24 January, 2019
Adelaide has recorded Australia's hottest capital city temperature of all time, hitting a new high of 46.6C at 3.36pm.
West Terrace reached 46.6C at 3.36pm after earlier recording 46.2 at 1.42pm.
The previous Adelaide record was 46.1C, set on January 12, 1939.
Ceduna reached 48.6C at 2.18pm but is cooling rapidly, its temperature dropping 12 degrees in 40 minutes as the cool change rolls over the state from the west.
The Red Lion, a pub in the city’s Elizabeth North suburb, promised to hand out free beers if the mercury rose above 45C.
By 1pm, there was a line out the door and around the block.
According to the Guardian, the mass fish kill crisis in New South Wales is now affecting the state’s north with thousands of carcasses found on the banks of Lake Inverell.
The federal government has launched a review into why up to a million fish died along the Darling River at Menindee, in the state’s west, earlier this month.
Meanwhile, Hundreds of thousands of fish have been killed along a stretch of the Lower Darling River in New South Wales in a second major incident which has led some experts to fear whole populations of local native fish have been wiped out.
Residents near the Menindee Lakes are reporting what is the second major fish kill along a 20km stretch of water near Weir 32.
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