Page 4 The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch December 27, 2013 LUNCH SPECIALS Monday-Friday 11 a.m.-3 p.m. 1/2-PRICE SPECIALS Tuesday-Wednesday 4 p.m. It’s A Girl Assateague Island Welcomes Foal By SHAWN J. SOPER NEWS EDITOR $6.99 ANY SUB, FRIES AND LARGE SODA $6.99 10” PIZZA, SALAD AND SODA TUESDAY: 1/2-PRICE BURGERS WEDNESDAY: 1/2-PRICE PIZZA ✖✌✢¤✤✌✠✚’✛ ✌❚✌¤✘✠✚❙✤ TRIVIA PARTY 7-9 P.M. with Sarah Every Wednesday NFL FOOD AND DRINK SPECIALS DURING ALL NFL GAMES FRIDAY, DEC. 27: GO WITH THE FLO LATE NIGHT CARRY-OUT # AND DELIVERY# SATURDAY, DEC. 28: ROB FAHEY & THE PIECES 56th Street Bayside • 410-723-5600 • Open 11 a.m. Daily • year-round ASSATEAGUE – Local residents and visitors to Assateague got an early surprise Christmas gift last week when a new foal was born on the barrier island. The new foal, temporarily known by its alpha-numeric name N2BHSAL, made her first appearance last Wednesday and was likely around 24 hours old when she was first spotted. In the mid-1970s, the National Park Service began naming new foals in the Assateague herd with an alpha-numeric code to help track the lineage and ancestry of the wild horses and identify to which subherd they belong and the areas they frequent on the island. The new foal was birthed by N2BHS-A, more commonly known now as Gokey Go Bones. Although Gokey Go Bones was often seen with N2BHSX, or Jester, when she became pregnant, the color of the new foal suggests the sire is likely N9BM-E, or Yankee. Assateague Island National Seashore Science Communicator Kelly Taylor said this week the birth of the new foal was a pleasant pre-holiday surprise on the island. It was just the second foal born on the island in 2013, the first coming in May. Taylor said the size of the herd of wild horses on Assateague now stands at 101. “We really weren’t expecting this foal because we didn’t know Gokey was pregnant,” she said. “When we initially did pregnancy testing on the horses, she didn’t show up as being pregnant. We actually collect their feces and test for hormones that reveal if any of the horses are pregnant. It’s similar to a human pregnancy test. Because they carry a foal for about 11 and a half months, she might not have been showing the changes when we tested her.” The new foal was born mid-week last week when frigid temperatures dominated the local forecast. Nonetheless, the new foal is being protected by Gokey and the band she travels with and is thriving thus far. “We’re keeping an eye on her,” said Taylor. “She’s out there with her mother and the rest of the band. She should be fine. She was born into a large band, which means that there are many horses looking out for her. It is the nature of social animals to protect each other, so the horses will crowd around the foal to block the wind and keep her warm. Her dam appears to be healthy, so the foal will have plenty of high quality milk.” Taylor said a common misconception is for the public to refer to new foals and all of the other animals that make up the herd on the Maryland side of Assateague as ponies, but they are technically just SEE PAGE 6