Heart-wrenching footage of a wild mare experiencing profound sadness over the death of her foal has become viral on social media.
The video was shot in Montana’s Pryor Mountains and depicts the mare affectionately rubbing and pushing her deceased offspring, unwilling to abandon it.
During a trip to the Pryor Mountains to document the local wild horses, photographer and filmmaker Jamie Baldanza captured the video.
He was moved by the mare’s intense reaction to her foal’s passing and opted to record the moment.
The footage depicts the mare tenderly nuzzling her motionless foal, attempting to rouse it. Despite nudging and pawing at it with her hooves, the foal remains inert. The mare ultimately stands guard over her young one, unwilling to abandon it.
According to Baldanza, the mare’s profound sorrow was tangible, and he was touched by her emotional reaction to her foal’s passing. He noted that he had never witnessed anything comparable before and that it was a testament to the intense emotional connections that animals possess.
The video has since become viral on social media, with many individuals expressing their condolences for the mare and her tragedy. Several have also advocated for increased safeguards for wild horses, contending that they are frequently subjected to mistreatment and neglect by humans.
A considerable number of wild horses inhabit the Pryor Mountains, and these animals are safeguarded by federal regulations. Despite this, the Bureau of Land Management, which oversees the region where the horses reside, frequently conducts roundups and displacements of the animals.