Kimberley cattle de-horning deemed cruel

A cattle station operator has been found guilty of committing animal cruelty offences at a huge pastoral station in Western Australia's Kimberley region.

Nicolass Francois Botha and his company SAWA Pty Ltd went on trial in the Perth Magistrates Court charged with multiple counts of being in charge of an animal and causing it unnecessary harm.

The charges related to the manner in which feral cattle had their horns removed at the 400,000 acre Moola Bulla Station near Halls Creek, with the RSPCA saying it was done in a cruel way.

The company and Botha were each convicted of one charge but were found not guilty of several other counts of the same offence, and will be sentenced on a date yet to be confirmed.