First foal born this year to Outer Banks wild horses dies mysteriously
The first foal born this year to the Outer Banks wild horses died mysteriously Thursday afternoon.
Charlie was born March 25 and appeared to be healthy, said Meg Puckett of the Corolla Wild Horse Fund, which manages the herd of about 100 Spanish mustangs roaming the northern beaches in Currituck County.
“He showed no sign of illness, struggle, or distress,” she said in a Facebook post.
The foal was seen with his parents by the fire station in Carova around 4 p.m. He seemed “completely fine” on security camera footage, walking next to his mom at 4:13 p.m., Puckett said.
At 4:19 p.m. he lay down, and by 4:30 p.m., he had died.
“His parents and brother are fine and behaving normally, though of course were very distressed by his sudden loss,” Puckett said.
Caretakers planned to take the body Friday morning to the state lab in Raleigh for a necropsy. Pending results, answers are lacking.
“We are so deeply grateful to everyone who helped us this afternoon,” Puckett wrote on Facebook. “Thank you for being there for us, and for Charlie.”
Three more horses were born to the herd this spring, Puckett said. Caretakers remind beachgoers and sightseers to keep their distance from the foals, whose first few weeks are precarious.
Kari Pugh, kari.pugh@virginiamedia.com
