THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, April 6, 1995 TAG: 9504060344
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY LANE DEGREGORY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: COROLLA LENGTH: Medium: 83 lines
In the nearly two weeks since volunteers corraled 14 wild horses north of a sound-to-sea fence, only two of the animals have bypassed the barrier and returned to this Outer Banks town.
One of the horses, a 2-year-old chestnut named Sienna, scooted under a sagging cable in the wood-and-wire fence March 28. Within 10 minutes of receiving a report of his escape, workers with the Corolla Wild Horse Fund had herded the colt through a gate in the fence and brought him back to his new home.
The other escapee, a 5-year-old bay stallion called M&M, is still at large. He walked around the east end of the fence during low tide Friday. Despite two attempts to move him back north of the fence, M&M was still roaming this seaside village on Wednesday - the only wild horse left in the populated portion of beach.
``One horse by himself is just so hard to herd,'' Corolla Wild Horse Fund Chair Debbie Westner said Wednesday afternoon. ``He's too squirrelly. We're trying.''
According to local lore, wild horses have lived on North Carolina's northern barrier islands for more than 400 years. Some say the animals' ancestors were Spanish mustangs who swam ashore from shipwrecks. Between 35 and 150 of the horses have ranged freely between Duck and the Virginia border for at least 200 years.
In the past two decades, however, development has encroached on the horses' habitat. Shopping centers and subdivisions have sprung from the sand dunes. Thousands of tourists visit Currituck County's beaches every summer.
Traffic has killed at least 15 wild horses since 1989.
Five years ago, a group of local residents formed the Corolla Wild Horse Fund to help save the unusual herd. They secured a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to build the 4-foot-high fence and raised $32,000 in donations. Last month, workers completed the barrier at the north end of N.C. Route 12 - where the pavement turns to sand. They installed a cattle guard that allows pedestrians and vehicles to access the beach - but keeps horses safely north of most traffic. They enlisted four cowboys to help with the roundup, and moved the Corolla herd north of the fence March 25.
South of the barrier, million-dollar rental homes and resort communities blanket almost every block. North of the fence, only a couple hundred houses are spread over more than 10 miles of beach. The horses have free rein over 15,000 acres north of the barrier, stretching to the Virginia border. Some of the land is privately owned. The rest is in the Currituck and Mackay Island National Wildlife refuges.
Another wild horse herd, estimated to contain between 20 and 135 animals, already lives in that sparsely populated area above the fence.
``We wanted to get the herd up there before Easter so we could work out any bugs,'' said Westner. ``The horses aren't crossing the cattle guard, which is good. They're not coming over the fence. And, so far, we're keeping our fingers crossed, but they haven't tried to skirt the sound side yet.''
This week, workers are fixing the sagging fence cable that Sienna scooted under. They're also adding another piling 20 feet further out in the ocean to extend the barrier. That way, hopefully, even at low tide the horses won't be able to walk back to Corolla.
``We want to keep them up there so they'll be safe,'' Westner said from the Wild Horse Fund office in the Currituck Beach Lighthouse. ``I don't see this as a victory. It's not what we wanted. But we hope it's what's best for the horses.
``I see this as another whole saga to the horse issue. It's a lot harder for us to track them up there in all that open land. They'll have to establish new territories up there.
``It's kind of sad, to me. I just hope the public will leave these horses alone in the wild,'' said Westner. ``If you see them, don't feed them. Let them alone in their peace and quiet.''
Local law requires that people stay at least 50 feet away from the wild horses at all times. ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
SPOTTING HORSES
If you see a wild horse on the northern Outer Banks - anywhere south
of the fence - call the Corolla Wild Horse Fund office immediately
at (919) 453-8152.
Volunteers need to know where and when the horse was spotted. If
possible, they also would like to know the animal's color and sex.
by CNB