Wild mustang, tourism ambassador dies in North Carolina

COROLLA, N.C. – A wild mustang who featured prominently in Outer Banks, North Carolina, tourism materials has died.

News outlets report that the Corolla Wild Horse Fund announced that the 15-year-old stallion named Roamer died Saturday, a day after being diagnosed with a tear in his GI tract that led to sepsis.

Roamer had first showed signs of colic, which is common among the wild horses. Although the non-profit recently cautioned people about the potential of a “swamp cancer” outbreak, Roamer’s death appears unrelated to the pythiosis that killed seven horses on a Virginia island.

Corolla’s herd manager, Meg Puckett, called Roamer “sort of a legend” and an “ambassador for the horses.” He was among the oldest of the nearly 100-strong herd, and got his name for his tendency to wander among tourists.