HARKERS ISLAND, NC (WCTI) — A six-year-old wild stallion that was in the process of being transferred from Shackleford Banks to a similar habitat has died while under sedation.
The information comes from the National Park Service: on Wednesday, Apr. 12, a six-year-old wild stallion, or male horse, was scheduled to be transferred from Shackleford Banks to a similar island habitat at the Rachel Carson Reserve, located a few miles to the north. The transfer was part of a cooperative partnership between the National Park Service (NPS), its wild horse management partner the Foundation for Shackleford Horses (FSH), and the Division of Coastal Management’s NC Coastal Reserve Program (NCCR). During that transfer, the horse suddenly and unexpectedly died while under sedation.
According to the Shackleford Banks Wild Horses Protection Act, wild horses removed by the National Park Service are turned over to the Foundation for Shackleford Horses (FSH) to be placed for adoption. In this case, the Foundation was placing the horse with the State to become a part of the wild horse herd that currently resides on the Rachel Carson Reserve in Beaufort. The intention of transferring a stallion to the Reserve was to support the long-term viability and health of the wild horse herd located there. The Shackleford stallion was carefully pre-selected based on its body condition, age and social status to ensure the best outcome for the animal as it joined the Rachel Carson Reserve herd.
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