COROLLA, N.C. — Author's note: The video above is on file from July 2021.
The Corolla Wild Horse Fund announced Friday that a young stallion in the Outer Banks region died from drinking contaminated water earlier this week.
According to the organization, Taco, the 8-year-old horse, is the fourth in the last two years that died from bacteria or other contaminants in the water.
The organization said while every loss is a tragedy with a small population to begin with, some hit harder than others.
"Taco had such a big personality, and so many people became attached to him and helped us keep a constant eye on him," the organization said in a Facebook post.
The organization collected water from different places in Taco's territory to get tested for contaminants, like e. Coli and salmonella. They added that there's not much they can do to clean the water, but they can get an idea of what areas might be more problematic than others.
The Corolla Wild Horse Fund works to protect wild horses on the Outer Banks. For more information, you can visit the organization's website.