A blood infection is blame for the death of the first foal born this year to the Outer Banks wild horses.
Charlie was born March 25 and appeared to be healthy, but died suddenly April 14 outside the fire station in Carova, said Meg Puckett of the Corolla Wild Horse Fund, which manages the herd of about 100 Spanish mustangs roaming the northern beaches in Currituck County.
A necropsy performed at the state lab in Raleigh found the foal died from sepsis caused by bacteria entering the body through the umbilicus, Puckett said. There were no signs of birth defects or congenital issues, and no indications he had been fed or had eaten anything that caused an obstruction or illness.
Security camera footage from the fire station showed Charlie behaving “completely fine” late on the afternoon of his death, walking next to his mom at 4:13 p.m., Puckett said. At 4:19 p.m. he lay down, and by 4:30 p.m., he had died.
“Charlie’s death reminds us that these horses face so many challenges to their survival that we simply cannot control, and what a miracle it is that foals are born every year who thrive and grow into healthy adults,” the Corolla Wild Horse Fund said in a Facebook post. “It’s imperative that when it comes to the things we can control, we all step up to the plate and do our part to keep these horses safe.”
Kari Pugh, kari.pugh@virginiamedia.com
