COROLLA, N.C. (AP) — A wild mustang who featured prominently in Outer Banks, North Carolina, tourism materials has died.
News outlets report that the Corolla Wild Horse Fund announced that the 15-year-old stallion named Roamer died Saturday, a day after being diagnosed with a tear in his GI tract that led to sepsis.
Roamer had first showed signs of colic, which is common among the wild horses. Although the nonprofit recently cautioned people about the potential of a “swamp cancer” outbreak, Roamer’s death appears unrelated to the pythiosis that killed seven horses on a Virginia island.
Corolla’s herd manager, Meg Puckett, called Roamer “sort of a legend” and an “ambassador for the horses.” He was among the oldest of the nearly 100-strong herd, and got his name for his tendency to wander among tourists.
