Original Article: https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/aggressive-wild-stallion-chip-relocated/

Over 1 million people visit Assateague Island National Seashore every year for a chance to see some of the wild horses who call the area home. However, due to humans not following the rules one stallion had to be relocated.

Signs are posted telling people to NOT feed, touch, or interact with the wild horses. However, they continue to be blatantly ignored by some, putting the wild horses and people in harm’s way.

Oftentimes, the horse pays the ultimate price or must be removed from the only home they have ever known.

The stallion Delegate’s Pride, also known as “Chip”, was labeled as “aggressive” after being fed by humans for years. The horse associated humans with food, and it turned into a dangerous situation on more than one occasion.

According to National Park Service (NPS), “Since 2017, This horse has been involved in more than 50% of all incidents which have resulted in injury to visitors. He is also extremely resistance to non-contact methods used by park staff to move horses out of potentially dangerous situations-totally ignoring actions which cause other horses to move.”

For these reasons the difficult decision was made to relocate him to Black Beauty Ranch in Texas. The wildlife sanctuary operated by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is home to countless other animals who had no place else to go.

HSUS stated in a press release, “He had to be removed from his home, but through no fault of his own. After years of being fed by tourists, Chip had become conditioned to expect food when he saw people. And when he didn’t get it, he got aggressive, creating a dangerous situation for everyone concerned.”

He will live out the rest of his days on a 1,000-acre pasture with other rescue horses. While the sanctuary is “glad to offer Chip a safe home”, they wish more people would follow the rules so wild animals could remain in their homes.

“A Fed Horse is a Dead Horse”, a campaign started by Assateague Island Alliance (AIA) in 2017, raises awareness of how visitors can help keep wild horses safe. Chip is not the first, nor will he be the last, to associate humans with food.

“Over the years, Assateague’s wild horses have learned to associate humans with food and have figured out how and where to get their reward. The horses in the campgrounds and on the beaches are very accustomed to Assateague’s many visitors. Please keep in mind, this does not mean they are tame; they are just unafraid of park visitors. Many have become attracted to human food as a result of intentional feeding and careless or improper food storage,” wrote AIA.

Visitors are asked to keep at least 40 feet away from the wild horses and properly store their food or use one of the many food storage picnic tables throughout the park.

Citations will be issued to anyone seen feeding or petting a wild horse. While the fine is $250, the risk to the person and horse is much greater. “Horses can get sick from human food. Those that learn to come up to the road to beg for food are often hit and killed by cars. Visitors are kicked, bitten and knocked down every year as a direct result of getting too close to the wild horses. Treating wild horses like tame animals takes away the wildness that makes them special. Protect your family by respecting theirs. Give the horses the space they need to be wild,” states NPS.

A similar situation recently occurred with a lone dolphin off the coast of Texas. Please keep your distance and observe these magnificent animals from afar.

Learn how you can help keep the horses wild in the video below.

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Source: The Animal Rescue Site Blog