Wild horse deemed a ‘serious threat’ removed from NC’s Outer Banks, officials say

A wild stallion roaming North Carolina’s Outer Banks has become a “serious threat to public safety” due to tourists feeding him, the Corolla Wild Horse Fund reports.

The horse, named Topnotch, was captured on Tuesday, Nov. 25, and permanently moved to a sanctuary on the mainland to keep anyone from getting hurt, the fund reported in a Facebook post.

It’s a drastic step taken because Topnotch had become “food conditioned and aggressive,” officials said.

“Over the last several years Topnotch became increasingly resistant to being moved away from perceived food sources, and also became increasingly aggressive and confrontational towards anyone who attempted to redirect him,” herd manager Meg Puckett wrote on social media.

“Associating humans with food led him to begin seeking people out, and reacting dangerously whether food was present or not. This kind of behavior is extremely difficult to correct in a wild animal, especially when the habituation is related to food and humans. Despite repeated attempts to discourage Topnotch’s behavior, he became a serious threat to public safety.”

County ordinances forbid humans to get within 50 feet of the wild horses, which are known to bite and kick. Feeding them is also illegal and potentially deadly, due to their digestive system being accustomed to only island vegetation.

The Corolla Wild Horse Fund and “multiple concerned residents” concluded that removing Topnotch “would be in the best interests of the horse and the community,” officials said. The sanctuary will provide his food and medical care with the help of donations.

“We are very fortunate to have a place for horses like Topnotch to go, where they will be safe and handled with great respect for their specific needs and dispositions,” Puckett said.

“We hope his story serves as a stark reminder of why it’s so important to maintain a 50-foot distance from the wild horses at all times and never feed them.“

Topnotch is considered to be “advanced in age” and he did not have a harem of mares under his protection, officials said.

The Corolla Wild Horse Fund is a nonprofit that tends the needs of about 100 wild horses on the northern Outer Banks, including medical care. For details of how to help, visit Corollawildhorses.com.

This story was originally published November 26, 2025 at 8:07 AM with the headline "Wild horse deemed a ‘serious threat’ removed from NC’s Outer Banks, officials say."