On the Brink of Extinction.
"NUNKI", the last Abaco "Barb" Wild Horse in the World.
"NUNKI", the last Abaco "Barb" Wild Horse in the World.
Only
one Abaco “Barb” Spanish Colonial Wild Horse left, "NUNKI."
Six decades ago, there were 200 or more wild horses on
Great Abaco Island, Bahamas. These horses were the time-capsuled descendants of
the horses that Christopher Columbus brought with him to the New World, at the
end of the 15th Century. They are similar to their cousins, the Corolla Wild
Horses of the Outer Banks in North Carolina. I'll write a brief history from a previous post...
"Spanish and Arabian/Barb horses were brought to the "New World" from the 1519 to mid-century. Horses were carried on the decks of Spanish ships and pushed overboard to swim ashore when the ships got near the shore. In a hostile environment, the Spanish settlers became ill and weakened, unable to care adequately for their livestock. North Carolina´s Outer Banks remained isolated for centuries and have been the last area of the State to be populated to saturation. This means there was little opportunity for adulteration of the Spanish blood line. The shallow sounds and marshes of the Outer Banks, while isolating and separating them from the mainland, were not impassible for young stallions traveling from island to island, gathering satellite herds and setting up new pasturage. Examinations by Veterinarians and horsemen, who are familiar with the Spanish-type horses, reveal too many similarities to ignore.
Our ongoing study of the Corolla herds provides DNA and data on behavioral and temperamental characteristics, which are common to them and to Spanish Barb/Arabian horses. The Corolla Wild Horses carry the distinguishing features of Spanish type horses. Their even temperament, endurance, size, and the startling beauty which crops up frequently in the Banker Horses all point strongly to their dramatic history.
These beautiful wild horses are the remnants of once numerous herds of Spanish stock which ran and roamed free along the pristine sandy islands of our coast of North Carolina. The Spanish Mustang Registry is satisfied that the Banker Horses, in particular the Corolla strain, are as lineally pure to the 16th Century Spanish importations as can be found in North America today."
The Abaco "Barb" Wild Horses lived independently and undisturbed until man
disrupted the balance. All, but three were slaughtered in the early 1960s.
They came back to 35 animals by the mid 1990s. But, a
hurricane pushed the horses out of their now destroyed forest habitat, where
they had thrived for so long, into a lush and toxic citrus plantation that was
hurricane-damaged and littered with chemicals, destroyed buildings, too-rich
pastures, and poisonous plants.
It was the beginning of the end for the horses.
Despite the best efforts of our team, the herd has been reduced to one mare, NUNKI.
The Wild Horses of Abaco Preservation Society, and
Arkwild, Inc., need your help to turn this situation around. The world has
stayed at arm’s length for long enough; it’s time to step up, to recognize what
has been lost, and to save what is still here: the last mare, NUNKI, and her
future offspring.
Our voices are the strongest weapon we have. Use it wisely to speak out, to become the voice of the voiceless, and inspire change.
Acts of kindness are the stepping-stones to making the world a better place to live. I am an animal lover and advocate. Can you help "NUNKI"?...I would.
UNTIL WE WRITE AGAIN.
STARRY DAWN.
