Surprise Foal Expected Soon On Assateague Island; Gokey Go Bones Expected To Birth Soon

ASSATEAGUE — The ongoing baby boom on Assateague Island is even bigger than first expected after officials on the barrier island late last week learned a fourth mare is pregnant and expecting at any time.

In an annual November ritual on the barrier island, a biological technician conducts pregnancy tests of sorts on many of the mares in the wild horse population on Assateague in an attempt to predict how many, if any, new foals will join the herd in the coming year. When the results came back late last year, Assateague officials announced three mares on the island, including Carol’s Girl, JoJo and Charmed were all expected to birth falls this spring and early summer, creating a virtual baby boom on the island.

Two of the foals have already been born. Carol’s Girl birthed her foal in April and JoJo gave birth to her foal about three weeks ago, leaving only Charmed still expecting. Charmed is expected to birth her foal at any time now. However, the Assateague Island Alliance (AIA), the friends group of the Assateague Island National Seashore, which advocates on behalf of the island’s most famed residents, learned last week yet another mare, Gokey Go Bones, is also pregnant and is expected to give birth at any time.

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