Venomous snake bite kills Outer Banks wild horse two days before its second birthday

One of the wild horses roaming North Carolina’s Outer Banks has died a week after being bitten by a venomous snake, according to the Corolla Wild Horse Fund.

The nearly 2-year-old filly, named Valor, had been under constant care since May 17, after a caller alerted herd officials to a horse that had been standing in the same spot for 24 hours.

An infected snake bite was found on one of its front legs, the fund said.

“We made the difficult decision to euthanize Valor Saturday morning,” Corolla Wild Horse Fund officials posted on Facebook, noting the horse had been rushed to a hospital.

“On Friday, when we changed Valor’s bandage we were concerned about the increased amount of discharge coming from the wound. ... We were advised that surgery would be difficult with a poor chance for success. ... The outlook for her having a comfortable life was very, very poor.”

Memorial Day would have been Valor’s second birthday, the fund said.

It’s believed the snake’s venom contributed greatly to the rapid spread of the infection and damage to surrounding tissue.

Herd Manager Meg Puckett has not said what type of snake was involved, but venomous copperheads and rattlesnakes roam the Outer Banks.

Venomous snake bites involving Outer Banks tourists are uncommon, but the islands’ feral horses are more at risk as they search the maritime forest for fresh water.

Had Valor survived, she could not have been returned to the wild, due to becoming overly comfortable around people, the fund said. She was part of a herd of about 100 feral horses that roam the northern part of the Outer Banks.

“This is a tough loss for the herd, and also a very tough loss for those of us who fought so hard to keep her alive,” the fund posted.

This story was originally published May 25, 2020 at 4:19 PM with the headline "Venomous snake bite kills Outer Banks wild horse two days before its second birthday."