LAKE POWELL, Utah — Two horses, a mom and her baby, have finally been rescued from a beach on Lake Powell where they have been stranded for about two weeks.
On June 9, the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area posted on Facebook that they were aware of the "feral" horses. The mare and foal became stranded on the beach in Navajo Canyon due to the rising lake elevation. Park officials said that may have happened because the mare gave birth to the foal and stayed on the beach, but eventually ran out of food sources after the levels rose.
"Horses are great swimmers, but for unknown reasons, the mare stayed on the beach until she was too weak to make the one-quarter mile swim with a newborn," the park wrote in an update announced Friday.
Glen Canyon staff have been monitoring the horses since June 7 and have been bringing them hay. A veterinarian was also called in to assess their health.
"Normally, the park does not interfere with natural wildlife or feral animal issues but this beach is a very popular camp and recreation spot for boaters so there was a safety concern to the public," a Facebook post from the recreation area said.
On Thursday night, they were able to rescue the horses by tranquilizing them and loading them onto a horse trailer, which was brought to the beach using a National Park Service boat.
They were then taken to the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, where they will be cared for until the foal is weaned. They will both be up for adoption after that. Anyone interested in doing so can email horses@bestfriends.org.
“Mom and baby are now eating, resting and safe at Best Friends,” said Jen Reid with Best Friends. “We were thrilled to be part of this incredible rescue and look forward to helping these horses find a great home when they’re ready.”
The NPS and Glen Canyon thanked those with the Navajo Nation who helped with the rescue, as well as Kanab Veterinary Hospital and Best Friends Animal Sanctuary.
