Andrew Hawkins is concerned that Ocracoke might lose an iconic feature – the Banker pony herd – if more foals aren’t born soon.
Hawkins, a parttime islander who with his wife volunteers as an NPS campground host, also volunteers with the care of the 14-member pony herd, corralled at the center of the island.
“We’re just worried that if they don’t do something, we’re going to lose the herd if we don’t breed them,” he said. “We haven’t had a foal in four or five years.”