Wild horses dying to be free

Kaapsehoop: Endangered by illegal mining, disease, speeding vehicles, poaching

- Masoka Dube

It is still not clear who is supposed to protect the endangered iconic wild horses of Kaapsehoop near Mbombela, Mpumalanga.

The horses are found within different pine and gum tree plantations in the area.

Residents of Kaapsehoop, who are volunteering to ensure that the horses are preserved, have called on the government, business people and animal lovers to assist to save the diminishing population.

Adele Willenbrock, one of the community members taking care of the horses, said there was a need to preserve the horses for future generations.

Willenbrock said the horses were endangered by illegal mining activities, disease, vehicles and poaching in the area.

"Sometimes I use my own money to buy the resources used in taking care of the horses. I always travel around to check if they are safe."

"When I find that some of them are sick or injured, I interact with fellow volunteers and contact the veterinary surgeon to assist."

"As a community, we are trying our best to preserve this precious heritage, but it's hard. We need support from the authorities or business people."

"If we fail to protect them, future generations will only read about the horses instead of seeing them. We had more than 170 horses but now we only have 47."