A wild horse was relocated from its home on the Outer Banks after an organization said he was becoming too reliant on humans giving him food.
The Corolla Wild Horse Fund posted on Facebook Tuesday that they’ve relocated a wild stallion named Topnotch to their farm sanctuary on the mainland due to habits that made him food conditioned and aggressive.
The nonprofit said that Topnotch was associating humans with food, which led him to begin seeking people out and then reacting dangerously whether food was present or not. They added that this sort of behavior is extremely difficult to correct in a wild animal.
“Despite repeated attempts to discourage Topnotch’s behavior, he became a serious threat to public safety,” the post wrote. “While removal is always the last resort, when wild animals and humans live in close proximity to each other there is always a risk of conflict.”
The organization said that they are are fortunate to have a place where horses like Topnotch can go to be safe and handled with great respect for their needs.
They hope this incident serves as a reminder of why it’s important to maintain at least 50 feet from wild horses at all times and never feed them.
The Corolla Wild Horse is a nonprofit that is dedicated to protecting, conserving and managing a herd of Corolla wild horses (Bankers) roaming freely on the northernmost Currituck Outer Banks. The organization also works to promote the preservation of the land as a permanent sanctuary for the the horses.