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Wild Cape stallions and mares have survived in the wetlands between Claymond and Royand in South Africa’s Western Cape for over a century.
According to conservationists, wild horses play a vital role in the ecosystem because their crossings keep clogged waterways open.
Wild horses seem to regulate herd size, as over decades there have never been more than 30 of them, and no more than 3-4 herds cross the beaches and wetlands.
The future of the Cape’s enchanting wild horses is uncertain due to the increasing urbanization of local towns and the encroachment of human settlements.
There is a story about the origin of these wild horses that say they are the offspring of a ship that sank off the coast of Gansbaai in 1852. This ship was the British Navy frigate HMS Birkenhead, which had been converted into a troop carrier. The ship was en route to Algoa Bay and was carrying troops to fight the Xhosa. It had 643 people on board, most of them soldiers, but there were also civilians and children, as well as nine horses from the 8th Cavalry.
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