Kiki Sjoberg drove into the mountains to snap Australia’s wild brumbies – and then vanished off the face of the earth

The search for an award-winning photographer and brumby conservationist has been ramped up after she vanished in the NSW Snowy Mountains 10 days ago.

Lovisa ‘Kiki’ Sjoberg’s last contact with another person was on October 8, but she was seen a week later driving her grey Mitsubishi Outlander rental car.

The alarm for the 48-year-old, from nearby Jinabyne and who has photographed for Harpers Bizarre magazine, was raised on Monday when rental car staff realised her hire car was six days overdue.

It was found unlocked and abandoned near Kiandra Courthouse, 90km north-west of the Snowy Mountains capital, Cooma.

It had lain untouched there for six days after she was last seen alive at the wheel of the car in Kosciuszko National Park around 7am on October 15.

Although familiar with the local alpine landscape, worried friends say Ms Sjoberg’s disappearance is out of character and they are ‘praying she is found safe and well’.

Police and National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) officers have been searching trail heads in the six square kilometre national park, known for its waterfalls and limestone gorges. 

Michelle and Ian Brown posted photos of the search up in Kosciuszko National Park (above) for their friend and wild horse conservation colleague and have personally scoured the area alongside police and NPWS officers 

Her rental vehicle was discovered unlocked at the remains of the old settlement at Kiandra, an abandoned gold mining town. 

NSW Police have deployed specialist alpine officers, a helicopter, trail bikes and rescue teams and volunteer firefighters experienced in overnight and rugged terrain searches.

Fellow brumby photographers and wild horse campaigners Michelle Maree Brown and Ian Brown have posted alerts on social media and said that Ms Sjoberg ‘knows the country and hikes all the time in KNP’.

The couple has co-ordinated with police search and rescue on foot and on quad bikes, and personally searched remote and difficult territory.

Mr Brown posted on Facebook that he had ‘scoured ‘the land time forgot’, adding that it is steep and treacherous out there, and anyone could easily get into trouble out there.

‘From there I walked to ‘the nook’ and scoured that area. I ended up doing 26.5 kms (only a very tiny area I know),’ he added.

He said that two other friends ‘rode other areas that KiKi frequented, also for hours on end. It’s a big place. Fingers crossed she is ok’. 

The missing woman is a local hero in the ‘save the brumbies’ movement since finding and photographing the bodies of a mob of 11 wild horses.

Kiki Sjoberg’s unlocked rental vehicle was found at the Kiandra heritage village, but there was no sign of the 48-year-old and volunteers are now helping search the often difficult and steep terrain

Ms Sjoberg found and photographed the bodies of a mob of 11 wild horses mysteriously shot dead in September 2022

Mysteriously shot dead in September 2022, the mob was a family led by a brumby stallion the Browns called Arrow Boy, and included a pregnant mare.

A helicopter, trail bikes and ATVs are being used in efforts to locate Ms Sjoberg.

Members of the brumby group praised the Browns for working in the search for Ms Sjoberg with NPWS, sometimes suspected of shooting dead brumbies to cull numbers of the animals which are not native.  

Ms Sjoberg is of Caucasian appearance, with an olive complexion, black hair and brown eyes.

Her recognised work includes photographs she took of Snowy Mountains landscapes blanketed in red smoke the during the 2019-2020 bushfire season.

Ms Sjoberg’s personal Instagram account has been set to private along with her Brunby Strong photographic Instagram account.

NSW Police have urged that ‘anyone with information to contact Monaro Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000’.