One of the wild horses at Assateague Island National Seashore was shot and killed over the weekend during an authorized deer hunt there, the National Park Service reported today.
The 28-year-old bay mare was found Saturday by a hunter and reported to a park ranger the following day. Superintendent Trish Kicklighter was quoted in the release saying that she hoped the shooting was accidental, but an investigation is under way.
While most national parks do not allow hunting, it was authorized by Congress when it created the national seashore in 1965. Several hunts are held there every fall and winter to help control populations of white-tail and sika deer on the barrier island.
Sika deer were introduced in 1920, and park service officials say without hunting to limit their numbers the non-native deer would harm the island ecosystem. While there's been concern about the wild horse population outgrowing the resources of the seashore as well, the park service has been controlling that by treating mares with contraceptives.
The National Park Service is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to arrest of the individual (or individuals) involved in killing the horse. Even if the shooting was accidental, failure to report it violates federal regulations. Anyone with information is encouraged to call Chief Ranger Ted Morlock at 410) 629-6055 or email ted_morlock@nps.gov
For more on the seashore and its horses, go here.
(Wild horses at dusk at the old ferry landing, Assateague Island National Seashore, 2003 Baltimore Sun photo by Algerina Perna)