The Island of Wild Horses, Isla de Vieques
A hidden gem of the Caribbean where wild horses roam around in a tropical paradise.
Isla de Vieques
An Island 7 miles off the east coast of Puerto Rico, Isla de Vieques is home to 2000 horses. Either by ferry or airplane, a quick ride to the island opens the door to untouched land of beauty where the wild horses roam freely.
Image courtesy of https://www.awaygowe.com/puerto-rico-vieques/
The Horses
The feral horses that live in the island had turned loose to roam by their owners many decades ago. Time passed, the horses spread out, reproduced and now is part of the island's touristic charm. (Jurga, 2017)
Image courtesy of Erika P. Rodriguez/The New York Times
As magical as it sounds to find roaming wild horses on a beautiful beach, the herds are growing larger ever year questioning the welfare of the horses on an island with limited resources.
In 2015, Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) entered into a strategic partnership with the island's government to work on several different programs for these horses. (Jurga 2017)
One key program to control the growing population of the horses is administering the contraceptive known as Porcine zona pellucida (PZP). The PZP has been proven to be very effective and safe which also increases health benefits of the treated mares. (Jurga 2017)
There are limited resources available in the island such as fresh water. By controlling horse population, there will be lesser competition. And also vehicle collisions with the horses are a huge issue. By allocating and securing better water sources, HSUS aims to attract the horses to stay in their primary habitats and stay away from the urban areas where they may get involved in vehicle collisions.
Vieques tackles overpopulation of famous horses
Encountering a wild horse is something beyond a city dweller's imagination and for that reason, many who have been to Isla de Vieques tend to stay longer or have returned. Despite the 2017 hurricane, the island is resilient and has been recovering since.
Learning about the Island certainly has got me to add the place to my bucket list.
Resource
Jurga, F. (2017, March). Free Range in Paradise: The “Wild” Horses of the Caribbean Attract Tourists and Research. Retrieved from https://equusmagazine.com/blog-equus/free-range-paradise-wild-horses-vieques-54999
Benzel, J. (2018, March). Returning to Vieques. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/19/travel/vieques-hurricane-recovery.html
