Foal removed from herd, cannot be reunited with mother
By Annette Weston
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Shackleford Banks, Carteret County, North Carolina (WLOS) — Officials said a Shackleford Banks foal who followed a group of people for several hours will not live a free-roaming life after it was lifted onto a boat and removed from the island – and its mother.
On March 26, officials with the National Park Service said a group of visitors on Shackleford Banks encountered a newborn foal in the Wade Shore area, and the foal followed the group for about two hours; there were no other horses present during the time the foal followed them.
When the visitors moved to their boat to leave the island, NPS said the foal tried to follow them and, with the best of intentions, thinking that the foal would drown, they lifted the foal into the boat and left, removing the horse from its natural habitat, its mother, and the herd.
Once a foal has been removed from the seashore, officials said it is unlikely that the park can reunite it with its dam (mother). Although these visitors thought that they were doing the right thing, this foal can’t be returned to Shackleford Banks and will now live a life as a domesticated animal, rather than as a wild stallion. The foal is currently in the care of the Foundation for Shackleford Horses.
As a result of their actions, the visitors have been cited for removing the horse from Shackleford Banks and the park is working with this group to assist with future educational opportunities and community service projects that will benefit Shackleford Banks, and the horses protected there.
March is the beginning of foaling season on Shackleford Banks, a part of Cape Lookout National Seashore which along with its wildlife, is federally protected. Visitors observing strange animal behaviors may call the park visitor center (the phone number is on the brown information signs on the island) or 911 to report to park staff. Anything urgent, serious, or potentially life-threatening to the visitor, or the wildlife should immediately be called in to 911 which will then dispatch park resources to the site.
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