Mass horror: 500 horses found dead in secret Australian slaughterhouse

Authorities in New South Wales, Australia, along with local police, have initiated an extensive investigation following the grim discovery of approximately 500 dead horses on a property, as reported by ABC station. This startling find occurred in the dry bed of a creek on an estate in Wagga Wagga, a city nestled along the Murrumbidgee River, west of Sydney.

The first alarming reports surfaced about eight weeks ago, with local media citing Peter Thompson, chairman of the city council. Despite these reports, it wasn't until a month later that investigators arrived at the site.

Thompson further detailed that one of the piles alone contained 200 horses. The effort to hide this brutal act was evident, as estimated from various other piles scattered across the estate.

Before the arrival of investigators, attempts to conceal the dead horses with soil were made, though the duration of the killing spree remains unknown. Decomposition levels varied significantly, with some horses merely skeletons, while others seemed to have been killed more recently, according to a city council statement.

ABC, citing the New South Wales food authority, suggested that the site might have been used as an illegal slaughterhouse, with the horses potentially slaughtered for animal feed.

The identity of the perpetrators remains unknown as the investigation continues.