Once-ostracized wild horse seen wandering NC Outer Banks is now a mom, photos show
A solitary mare once known as the loneliest wild horse on North Carolina’s Outer Banks has been spotted with her first foal, forever ending her days alone, according to the Corolla Wild Horse Fund.
The horse, named Alma, also has a family now, proving herd guardians were wise not to intervene when she wandered the beach alone for months.
“Alma is being a good mom and her colt, who we’ve named Elvis, is perfect! He was most likely born Sunday night or Monday,” the fund wrote in a Wednesday, May 8, Facebook post.
“We are so glad that we did not intervene and remove Alma from the wild when she was struggling to find her place in the herd. It was difficult for people to watch, but we knew that in the grand scheme of things she was safe and just needed a little more time to mature and figure things out.”
Alma was rejected by her family at age 2, as part of a herd tradition that sees maturing offspring brutally forced out (with biting and kicking) to build a life of their own.
However, Alma’s case was unique because she lives in a region on the northern Outer Banks where wild horses are sparse. She was seen wandering for miles with no companionship and no clear destination in mind, the fund reported in 2022.
“Alma is often alone on the beach and to human observers seems lost, which is understandably concerning,” fund officials said.
“We have to remember that these are wild horses behaving naturally. It’s what eventually happens to each and every young horse, though Alma’s situation is a little unique. ... Normally, a mare that’s pushed out of her harem would quickly be scooped up by another stallion but there just aren’t any other harems close by for Alma to assimilate into.”
Alma found a harem in July 2022, headed by a stallion known to be “very protective,” the fund said.
“In this case, it seems to have worked out for the best and we are very excited to welcome Alma’s first foal to the herd,” officials said. “We hope that Alma stays with this harem.”
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