Once Were Wild

A captivating memoir about a woman's passion to save the wild brumbies who mysteriously appeared on the rugged landscape of the Mount Beckworth State Forest.

When Leslie Scott discovers two brumbies living on the rugged Mount Beckworth, she almost can't believe it. Brumbies don't live in Central Victoria, and the terrain is not suited to them, so how did they get there?


The horses are scared and unused to people, but the mountain is not a safe place for horses. With summer heat on its way, the waterholes are drying up and food is getting scarce - and local rumour has it that logging is soon to begin. Looking into the eyes of the young colt she names Milo, Leslie knows it's up to her to gain their trust and get them down to safety.


Every day for months Leslie makes the hike up the mountain, slowly but surely building a connection with Milo and his companion Lucy, but there are other mysterious things happening up there - bones being rearranged into different shapes - and always the question: who left the horses here in the first place?

Once Were Wild is a fascinating and heart-warming story about a woman and her resourcefulness and determination to do what's right for two beautiful brumbies.