The Central Land Council (CLC) is hosting an emergency meeting after traditional owners stopped a planned cull of dying feral animals.

Key points: Landowners are contemplating how to remove almost 100 dead horses from a waterhole

Landowners are contemplating how to remove almost 100 dead horses from a waterhole About 40 of the animals were found dead last week

About 40 of the animals were found dead last week Rangers were then forced to cull another 55

It comes only a day after photographs emerged of dozens of dead brumbies strewn along a 100-metre stretch of a swimming hole, called Deep Hole, about 20 kilometres from the remote Santa Teresa community.

Central Land Council rangers found 40 dead horses last Thursday, and were forced to cull another 55 that were alive but struggling.

Today, the Land Council revealed there were another 120 dying camels, horses and donkeys gathered around a water source at a different community, which they did not wish to name.

They are said to be in too poor a condition for musting and transport.

While it said it received consent, from residents it consulted, to cull, and scheduled an emergency cull for tomorrow, it had since learned some residents were opposed.

A community meeting is being held today, with animal welfare officers present.

"Before a cull it is important to get the informed consent of the traditional owners of the Aboriginal land trusts we support," CLC director David Ross said.

"However in emergencies … we will go ahead without consent if necessary.

"With climate change well and truly upon us, we expect these emergencies to occur with increasing frequency and nobody is truly prepared and resourced to respond to them."

Next Wednesday, the CLC will hold another meeting to discuss how to help the Santa Teresa Aboriginal Land Trust dispose of the brumby carcasses and avoid further mass animal deaths in the hot climate.

For 14 consecutive days, Alice Springs has recorded temperatures above 42 degrees — a new record.

The CLC said its constituents were very concerned about both feral and native animals in the current heat wave.

Mr Ross also said the Land Council was helping develop management plans with the four large Indigenous protected areas in its region.

He said the plans would help keep feral horse, donkey and camel numbers down and allow traditional owners to muster and sell healthy animals where they could find a market.

"Aboriginal land trusts, unlike IPAs, lack the resources to develop such plans," he said.

"That's why we are pleased that the NT Government has committed funds for us to develop 'Healthy Country' management plans over the next two years in areas across multiple land tenures, plans that include ranger groups operating in the Tennant Creek, Ti Tree, Ntaria (Hermannsburg) and Ltyentye Apurte regions."



'There's no magic bullet'

Tim Clancy, the NT Department of Environment and Natural Resources wildlife use and pest animals manager, said the feral animal caused significant environmental damage in Central Australia.

He said the last aerial survey on feral horses in Central Australia was in the early 2000s and found there was a population of about 250,000, with all evidence suggesting there are still big numbers.

He said this was particularly concerning during drought times, as the animals congregated at waterholes.

"Congregating can do quite a bit of damage to waterholes. Because they're forced to congregate on smaller and smaller areas," Mr Clancy said.

"They cause erosion. They damage vegetation.

"And I think especially in Central Australia. These waterholes are quite important refuges to native species."

Yet residents in Santa Teresa have a rich connection with the introduced species.

A meeting will soon be held to discuss how to dispose of the dead horse carcasses. ( Source: Facebook/Ralph Turner )

Yesterday, Santa Teresa media monitor Rohan Smyth told the ABC many people in the community were now "deeply concerned about the welfare of the local wild horse population".

Mr Clancy acknowledged it was a complex issue.

"They're a pest, they're also a resource for some people and they're also valued culturally," he said.

"It's complicated. There's no magic bullet solution.

"It's not good to get to this stage, the animals have obviously gone through a lot of distress."