The Quickshift
- Banker Horses are considered critically endangered, with only 300 left in the world
- One herd living on North Carolina's Outer Banks shares space with a 4x4 area
- An irresponsible UTV driver hit a 10-year-old stallion, seriously injuring him and leading to his humane euthanization because his injuries were too bad
- The driver tried to flee after the crash, but was later arrested
Conservation work with endangered species is both an incredible and emotionally fraught line of work.
In February, the Corolla Wild Horse Fund was celebrating a win with the birth of a brand new Banker horse named Eros. According to the Fund, only around 300 of this species of horse are left in the entire world. This species is considered critically endangered as a result, and organizations like the Fund do their best to monitor and assist them from a distance.
It's believed that Banker horses have lived on the Outer Banks barrier islands since about the 16th century. Over time, multiple threats including human encroachment and climate change have made life increasingly difficult for these horses. When Eros was born in February, he was horse number 111 in the herd. Every horse counts when you're trying to increase genetic diversity and support future generations of a species.
It's worth noting that these wild horses also share a habitat with a popular 4x4 area in Currituck County. And if you've guessed that this combination of things might possibly end badly, then you probably read the headline to this piece. Here's what happened.
At the end of July, some jerk in a UTV hit a 10-year-old wild Banker stallion named Bullwinkle. And then, to make a bad situation worse, he tried to flee the scene. A witness to the crash called 911, which is the only reason the Corolla Wild Horse Fund knew what happened, and that authorities eventually apprehended the driver and his companion.
The horse didn't die in the crash; instead, he was horribly injured and had to be euthanized the next day. One hind leg was broken, and he twisted the other leg and tore ligaments trying to cope after the first leg was broken. He also sustained serious scrapes and suffered horrible internal bleeding in his abdominal cavity that was later found after he had been humanely euthanized.
The UTV was apparently wrecked so badly that the driver just left it on the scene, so authorities were able to use the registration to trace the owner. Meanwhile, the poor horse was left seriously injured as the scene played out. The crash happened on a Friday evening, and the Fund and its veterinary experts weren't able to tend to Bullwinkle until Saturday morning.
The Fund later wrote of Bullwinkle and the incident,
"He was in the prime of his life, and went from being a symbol of what it means to be wild and free to a tragic example of how irresponsible, reckless human behavior can cause pain, suffering, and irreparable damage to the herd in an instant. Bullwinkle will never produce any foals. His genetics are gone from the herd forever and with such a small, endangered population the ramifications of that will last for generations."
It continued,
"Bullwinkle died as wild as he lived; at no point did he welcome our intervention and he remained wary and defensive even as he laid on the dune unable to stand anymore. The fight drive that he was always known for never left him, right up to the end. He was exactly what a wild Banker stallion is supposed to be, and we are glad that he at least never had to leave the beach – he was never meant to. He was buried at the edge of the meadow where the video from Thursday was filmed. There is not much comfort that can be found in anything about this tragic incident, but we are at least grateful that we could help him pass without further suffering and provide him with the respectful and dignified burial he deserved."
Please, for the good of everyone, human and animal alike, take responsibility for your actions when you're out having fun with your chosen powersports vehicles. Take care and pay attention to what you're doing and where you're going so you can avoid tragedies like this one.
