Assateagues wild horses pick up peoples bad habits

The first thing visitors notice about Assateague Island National Seashore is this: The 114 wild horses that inhabit the beachfront park along the Atlantic Ocean have full run of the place.

Summer is peak season for some 2 million tourists who visit Maryland’s Assateague Island, famed for those wild horses. But increased interaction between man and beast is causing problems with the horses’ diets and behaviors….

Horses are typically herbivores. But thanks to visitors who pet and feed them, park volunteer Pam Stansell says they’ve developed a taste for things like junk food.

“They like everything. They’ll eat chips, hot dogs, raw meat, dog food,” says Stansell. Read More…