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From: Tiderunner
Date: 5/18/2020
Time: 12:09:39 PM
The National Park Service reported that the mare and foal were seen together on Sunday.
Three Outer Banks tourists are being sought for questioning after witnesses say they tried to capture a month-old wild foal in an attempt to get selfies, according to the National Park Service.
The incident, which was caught on camera, took place around 4:30 p.m. Friday on the Shackleford Banks, which is part of Cape Lookout National Seashore.
It is illegal to get within 50 feet of the wild horses that roam the park, in part because they are known to kick and bite.
“During their chase — and trying to catch the foal so they could take a ‘selfie’ — they managed to scare the foal enough that it became separated from its mother,” Cape Lookout National Seashore posted on Facebook.
“We can only hope that mom found her baby again after these three stopped chasing them. The foal is under one month old and still nursing, it definitely needs mom for protection.”
The park service reported in an update that the foal had found its way back to its mother by Sunday.
Meanwhile, the National Park Service is asking for help in identifying the three suspects. Harassing the wild horses carries a fine of up to $500 on some Outer Banks islands, McClatchy News reports.
The nonprofit Foundation for Shackleford Horses, which manages the herd of about 110 horses, first reported the incident on Friday with a Facebook post.
“We haven’t even made it to Memorial Day weekend and yet we have already received our first report of harassment,” the foundation wrote.
“A visitor reported witnessing three young men attempting to capture the foal for photos and subsequently chasing the mare. The mare and foal became separated from one another, which puts the foal at risk of death,” the foundation posted.
The visitor who witnessed the incident “did intervene and they took off,” the foundation wrote. The trio will be prosecuted if caught, the foundation said.
“We need an identification, we need boat information. Cape Lookout is huge and rangers can’t be everywhere, so we need the public to be willing to report and to capture identifying photos or videos,” the foundation posted.
After two days, the mare and foal were located together by a park volunteer. Now, the Foundation for Shackleford Horses is trying to find the people responsible.
"Two days of work, worry, and wasted resources created by the irresponsibility of a few," the foundation said.
If anyone witnessed or has any information about this incident or the individuals involved, we ask that you contact the Foundation via Facebook or Cape Lookout National Seashore at 252-728-2250.