Orphaned wild foal crying for mom on Outer Banks nearly collapsed. NC group steps in
When the Corolla Wild Horse Fund first heard about a lonely foal wailing for his mother, the rescue group hoped it wouldn’t have to intervene.
But as days dragged into weeks, there was still no sign of Brio’s mom along the Outer Banks, and Brio was running out of time, the group said in a Facebook post.
The foal’s legs began to waver, his coat became tattered and he started to lose weight.
“It was clear that Brio was certainly not going to thrive on his own, and most likely would not survive,” the rescue group said. So, it took him in.
Brio was born last summer and had been with his mom in the wild up until late February, according to the rescue group. Suddenly, he was abandoned.
When rescuers picked Brio up to bring him to the farm on the North Carolina mainland, they realized how dire his situation was, according to the group’s Facebook page.
Rescuers found that Brio had pneumonia, was malnourished and had a leg condition that may have been due to hoof issues.
“We discovered just how thin he had become,” the group wrote online. “It’s hard to tell under all that hair, but once we got our hands on him we could feel every single one of his ribs and his hip bones.”
It’s possible that Brio’s mother abandoned him because she finished weaning him or she realized he was sick and left him, according to the group. In the worst scenario, she may have died.
“We have been keeping a close eye out for her, but the majority of the area where they lived is very remote and difficult to access. We are incredibly lucky that Brio turned up in a more populated area,” the group said. “Otherwise, we may not have known that he was alone and things could have ended much differently for him.”
Since Brio wasn’t in any immediate danger when the group was first notified, rescuers met with veterinarians and determined it would be best to see if mom would come back. If she didn’t return, Brio’s other relatives were roaming around the area in a herd nearby, which rescuers hoped the young horse might join.
But after observing how Brio and the herd wanted nothing to do with each other, the rescue group realized the tiny horse was lacking in social skills.
“Brio is very small and immature for his age and does not seem to have developed proper social skills when it comes to interacting with other horses. This alone put him at great risk of being injured or killed in the wild,” the group said on Facebook. “But now that he’s at the farm we can safely introduce him to other horses once he’s well enough and he will have good role models from here on out. “
Brio was put on antibiotics and will have another appointment so vets can examine his leg condition, the group said. Once he feels better, he will get a bath to help restore his poor coat, and start meeting new friends.
While the rescue looks forward to Brio’s recovery, it acknowledged that taking animals out of the wild is always unfortunate for the program.
“It’s very hard to lose a horse from the wild, especially a young one like Brio, but there is no doubt he would have not have survived on his own and needs more care than we could have ever provided in the field,” the group said on Facebook. “We are very cautiously optimistic that he is going to pull through, but these situations can go sideways fast.”
The team thanked their caretakers and veterinarians and asked Brio supporters for good vibes, prayers and support in his recovery.
“He is a fighter, and we will continue to provide the best possible care for him,” the group said.
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