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At least three of North Carolina's wild horse herds are safe and accounted for, according to the organizations that oversee and care for them.
But at least one flock, living on a barrier island hit hard by Florence and still unreachable a few days after the passage of the storm, is nowhere to be found. The staff works hard to reach them.
According to Margaret Poindexter, president and president of the non-profit foundation Shackleford Horses Inc., the herds at Corolla, Rachel Carson Reserve and Cedar Island have survived well in Florence and are returning to normal.
"Please, know that we and the park staff are as eager as anyone to put our eyes on the horses and count the noses. Since the adoption of the Shackleford Banks Wild Horse Protection Act 20 years ago, the Foundation and Park have worked together to preserve and protect the wild Shackleford herd, including hurricanes such as Floyd, Isabel and Irene, "said Poindexter on Facebook. "We treat this storm differently."
The staff is hopeful, however, after reports from other herds have shown that wild horses from North Carolina were able to cope with the bad weather of Florence and that they were not worse for wear.
As the horses of the Corolla, Rachel Carson Reserve and Cedar Creek are doing well, Poindexter said this could be good news for Shackleford Banks horses.
"That bodes well because all these horses have the same survival instinct and the same sturdiness," she told N & O. "Based on the survival of other herds, particularly Cedar Island and Rachel Carson, we have every hope that they are fine. "
Poindexter wrote on Facebook that an assessment of the flock "is impossible to achieve".
"Unlike other herds in places where assessment is relatively easy, the Shackleford herd is located on an uninhabited barrier island in a national shoreline accessible only by boat," she said.
And while most of Florence's news focused on the devastation in Wilmington and New Bern, Poindexter said on Facebook that Carteret County – including Shackleford Banks' horse house – had been hit hard.
"Cape Lookout, near the Shackleford Banks, had an unofficial landing and sustained the strongest of the strongest winds for hours and hours. Harkers Island, home of Cape Lookout National Seashore, has suffered significant damage and remains without electricity, "wrote Poindexter on Facebook. "The park remains closed to the public."
"Things are still very difficult and fragile here. Some people are still without electricity, homes and businesses are destroyed. We do what we can do, "Poindexter told the News & Observer Sunday.
A "skeletal crew" is working in the park to assess the damage, but Poindexter said it would be "a little time" before normal operations resume.
"They have employees who have not even arrived home, and others who have seen significant damage and flooding," she said.
"The equipment needed to survey the horses on Shackleford has been moved before the storm and will not be available for several days."
About 30 horses have been seen so far, said Poindexter, "and all seemed healthy and were acting normally." But a formal survey of the entire herd is not yet possible. There are 118 horses in the Shackleford herd, Poindexter told the N & O.
On Saturday, the park remained closed, damaging the wharves and buildings, according to the Cape Lookout National Cape.
"Shackleford Banks horses also need to be checked … The Shackleford Banks are currently not accessible to study nests or sea turtle horses, but staff are planning to go to the island. as quickly as possible". National seaside.
A reopening date for the park – or a date when staff might be able to do a complete check on the horses – had not been determined on Saturday.
Staff is planning trips to the island this week and hopes to "get more information soon," Poindexter told the N & O.
Other herds of horses, such as the Corolla herd, were relatively easier to explain because their areas were not totally inaccessible and in some cases people lived in the same area as the horses and could send staff updates.
"They are survivors," Corolla manager Meg Puckett told The News & Observer on Sept. 14, shortly after the storm swept Corolla.
Rachel Carson's Reserve published on Facebook on September 18 that "all wild horses on the Rachel Carson Reserve have been considered. All animals are in good condition.
A privately managed wild flock on Cedar Island was also reported Saturday, Poindexter said.
Puckett also wrote on Facebook before what was then a powerful Category 4 hurricane in Florence, namely that wild horses would fend for themselves perfectly without the help of humans – as they have done for centuries.
"The horses have lived on this barrier island for 500 years and are well equipped to cope with bad weather," said Puckett about the Corolla herd. "They know where to go to stay dry and are probably in better shape than most of us humans, who are struggling with final preparations."
To assist with the care and management of the Shackleford Herd, send donations to the Foundation for Shackleford Horses Inc., 306 Golden Farm Road, Beaufort, NC 28516.
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