Pets and Animals |

After tragic loss of young stallion, Outer Banks wild horse herd welcomes new foal

In the aftermath of the death of a young stallion hit by a vehicle on the beach last weekend, the grieving caretakers of the Outer Banks wild horse herd announced the birth of a foal named Ember.

“We are still in shock, we are emotionally and physically exhausted, and we are grieving,” Corolla Wild Horse Fund herd manager Meg Puckett wrote Friday in a social media post. But, she said, “life does go on.”

The newest member of the herd, a colt, was born the first week of July. Now a month old, he’s a “big, healthy foal with a very bright future ahead of him,” Puckett wrote.

Puckett said it’s been “incredibly difficult” to get back into work following the death of Bullwinkle the morning of July 27. The 10-year-old stallion, who made headlines last month for his dramatic fights with another horse, was hit by a utility terrain vehicle as he stood on the beach.

The Currituck County Sheriff’s Office charged 57-year-old Porter Williamson of Chesapeake and wife Rhonda Williamson with resisting, delaying or obstructing law enforcement following Bullwinkle’s death.

“He was in the prime of his life, and went from being a symbol of what it means to be wild and free to a tragic example of how irresponsible, reckless human behavior can cause pain, suffering, and irreparable damage to the herd in an instant,” Puckett wrote. “Bullwinkle will never produce any foals. His genetics are gone from the herd forever and with such a small, endangered population the ramifications of that will last for generations.”

But the birth of Ember brings new hope for the herd of about 100 wild horses roaming the beaches and swamps north of Corolla.

“Ember has everything he needs to grow up into a stallion who will one day produce foals of his own,” Puckett wrote. “An experienced mother who is taking great care of him right now, a habitat that provides him with plenty of food and fresh water, other horses who will teach him the ins and outs of being a wild horse, and survival instincts that have been passed down through many generations.”

But, she said, it’s up to everyone who visits wild horse territory to keep him safe.

“That includes giving him plenty of space and never petting or feeding him, driving slowly and being aware of our surroundings at all times, cleaning up after ourselves, and being good stewards of the environment,” Puckett said.