CHARLOTTE, N.C. _ A "well-known and well-loved" wild mare roaming North Carolina's Outer Banks had to be euthanized days ago, after doctors realized she had a painful infection that was beyond cure, according to the Corolla Wild Horse Fund.
The sad ending came after herd managers realized the limping horse could no longer keep up with her stallion, Topnotch, and his harem.
Ellie Mae was in her 20s, making her among the oldest surviving wild horses on the barrier islands, the fund said in a Facebook post.
It marks the second time in two months the nonprofit has announced the death of an elderly horse in the herd of less than 100. A stallion named Captain, who was nearly 30, had to be euthanized due to a series of health problems, the fund said last month.
"On Wednesday (Dec. 18), (Ellie Mae's) condition deteriorated significantly," the fund posted on Facebook.
"We discovered that the infection had moved into her joint, and become septic ... It's a devastating prognosis for any horse, with few treatment options, high levels of pain, and a poor long-term prognosis"
The same infection was blamed for the death of an orphaned foal earlier this year, the fund said.
Herd manager Meg Puckett wrote in a Facebook post that they learned of Ellie Mae's problems Dec. 4, when someone reported a horse that was having trouble with one of her back legs.
However, getting Ellie Mae in for a physical wasn't easy, due to a very protective husband, the fund wrote on Facebook.
"Her stallion, Topnotch, is an experienced, attentive horse and kept a close watch over her until Wednesday morning (Dec. 4)," the fund posted.
"That's when we found Ellie Mae alone, her harem having finally moved on in search of food and water," the post said. "Once a horse is no longer able to keep up with its harem it is generally our policy to intervene."
Ellie Mae was diagnosed with potentially fatal cellulitis, "a painful condition caused by bacteria entering into the body through a wound," the fund said on Facebook. Antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medicines failed to help, officials said.
Deaths among wild horses on the Outer Banks are often tragic in circumstance, including several killed in recent years by vehicles. In September, 28 horses on nearby Cedar Island drowned when they were swept into the Pamlico Sound by Hurricane Dorian.
"Ellie Mae was in her 20s and lived a long, good life for a wild horse," the fund posted Dec. 20.
"She leaves behind many offspring on the beach and she spent her last few weeks comfortable and loved on the rescue farm. Rest easy, Ellie Mae."
