Farmers are being warned to check fences on their properties in the wake of an increase in the number of wandering stock on the country's highways.
The New Zealand Transport Agency says a horse was hit by a vehicle in the Bay of Plenty this week and while the driver of the vehicle was unhurt, the horse had to be put down.
The agency's Bay of Plenty state highway manager, Rod James, cites another case in which about 30 cows got loose, though which posed a serious risk to motorists.
He says animals in drought-hit pastures may be seeking more feed, and he's asking farmers to check fences on paddocks near state highways.
Mr James says motorists driving on rural roads also need to look out for stock.
