Meet Ezra: The new foal in Corolla
COROLLA, N.C. (WAVY) — Ezra is the third foal born into the herd of wild horses in Corolla on the Outer Banks of North Carolina this year.
He was born about a week ago. The Corolla Wild Horse Fund believes he is the mother’s fourth foal. All of the mare’s former foals have been solid black, but Ezra looks a little different than his siblings. He is a chestnut colt with a star on his forehead.
With Ezra’s birth the herd how has 112 horses, which is a little low, but still within range. Corolla Wild Horse Fund Director of Herd Management, Meg Puckett, told WAVY they aim for the herd to be between 110 and 130 horses.
That range is laid out in their management plan and was determined by an equine geneticist. It takes into account genetic diversity and the habitat the horses live in, finding the balance between the two.
Ezra was first spotted a week before the organization announced his birth on social media. Puckett said it’s important to give foals time to bond with their mom and the herd before announcing them online.
“One of the challenges of managing this herd is that they are very public, you know, so once people see them, the word is out,” Puckett said, “so they were out on the beach yesterday, I guess, enjoying the beautiful weather like the rest of us were and and got a lot of attention. So that’s why we went ahead and announced his birth yesterday.”
The first foal born this year is Eros, who was born in February. There is another foal who doesn’t yet have a name because they haven’t been able to get close enough to determine if it’s a colt or a filly.
“That group lives primarily in the marsh and we do not see them often,” Corolla Wild Horse Fund said in a statement, “but they did bring the foal out to the beach very briefly one afternoon a couple weeks ago. Mom and foal both look healthy, which is the most important thing!”
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Puckett stressed that it is important to stay at least 50-feet away from the wild horses at all times whether you’re on foot or in a vehicle. It is not only for your safety and the horses but it’s the law.
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