Cape Lookout National Seashore superintendent Pat Kenney, Foundation for Shackleford Horses’ president Carolyn Mason, and Rachel Carson National Estuarine Research Reserve site manager Paula Gillikin have announce the opening of the joint Wild Horse Protection and Public Safety Campaign.

The horses in Cape Lookout National Seashore (Shackleford Banks) and the Rachel Carson Reserve (Carrot Island) are a major draw for visitors to the Crystal Coast of North Carolina. Locals and businesses alike recognize the popularity of these free-roaming symbols of freedom. However, the wild nature of the horses and public safety are both at stake.

Both the park and the reserve have seen an increase in visitors along with an increase in people trying to get too close to the horses.

"Just because horses don’t run away from people doesn’t mean that they welcome human contact," advised Mason