The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Coastal Management is warning the public about how they can help reduce the risk to the most vulnerable residents of Rachel Carson Reserve. On Saturday, May 10, a 6-day-old wild horse, or foal, a resident of the Rachel Carson Reserve in Beaufort, was separated from its mother for hours following disturbance by humans on foot and boats. Several days later, a visitor approached the foal and its social group to coax the foal closer. Visitors are advised that these actions may result in legal consequences.
“Although these visitors likely did not mean harm, their behavior is illegal and can be dangerous for both the horses and visitors,” explains Paula Gillikin, NCDEQ Division of Coastal Management’s horse herd manager for the Rachel Carson Reserve. “In particular, survival of foals can be compromised by disruptions to their natural behaviors such as nursing and resting. The first few years of a wild horse’s life are critical to their long-term survival.”
In addition to the State’s rule that visitors are not to disturb wildlife, the Town of Beaufort has an ordinance that prohibits harassing the horses and approaching within 50 feet. Beaufort Police Chief Paul Burdette states that “While these instances are occurring more and more and being posted to social media, the most effective way to immediately address this situation is to contact my staff by calling 252-726-1911. Timely identification is critical in not only protecting the horses, but for effective enforcement up to and including the issuance of citations.”
The Rachel Carson Reserve is located between the mouths of the Newport and North rivers and directly across Taylor’s Creek from the historic town of Beaufort in Carteret County. The main part of the site, just south of Beaufort, is a complex of islands that include Carrot Island, Town Marsh, Bird Shoal and Horse Island.
Horses were brought to the site by a local resident in the 1940s and eventually became wild. The horses are valued by locals and tourists alike as a cultural resource and symbol of wildness and freedom. The horses subsist primarily on saltmarsh cordgrass, and they dig for fresh water. The wild horse herd is continually monitored by Coastal Reserve staff and volunteers with minimal management to maintain the wildness of the herd. The local public helps to protect the horses by reporting instances of harassment, educating visitors, and participating in the volunteer Pony Patrol program.
All visitors to the Rachel Carson Reserve should maintain a lawful distance of at least 50 feet away (the size of a large bus). A much larger distance is recommended for viewing the horses’ natural behaviors and when a foal is present. Similar rules govern the horses found at Shackleford Banks, Cape Lookout National Seashore. If a violation is witnessed at the Rachel Carson Reserve or Shackleford Banks and it’s safe, take a photo of the incident including boat registration numbers and call the Town of Beaufort Police Department at 252-726-1911.
* IMAGE FOR DOWNLOAD: Photo credit Coastal Reserve volunteer Miriam Sutton
About the North Carolina Coastal Reserve (Rachel Carson Reserve): The North Carolina Division of Coastal Management, a division of the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality, works to protect, conserve and manage North Carolina's coastal resources in the 20 coastal counties. The N.C. Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve Program protects natural areas for education, research, and compatible traditional uses. Since its creation in 1989, the program has preserved more than 44,000 acres of unique coastal environments at 10 sites along the coast.