As conservationism and animal rights become more popular, many people book trips to view animals in their natural habitats. Forget the zoo. If you have the funds, book a safari to see creatures in the wild. Or journey to Assateague Island off Maryland, where wild horses run free. From the woods to the beach, these majestic creatures roam everywhere.
And while it is fun to see these beautiful animals in their natural habitats, warning signs everywhere tell tourists and locals alike to keep their distance. Because the animals are feral, they don't know how to interact with humans. So, they tend to take extreme measures to protect themselves from what we believe are harmless pets.
This is what happened to one man on Assateague Island last month when he attempted to stroke a wild horse on the beach. Despite warnings not to interact with the roaming animals, this onlooker went against his better judgement.
The man, wearing a black speedo, reached out to touch the side of a brown horse's stomach. Upon contact, though, the alarmed animal fought back, enforcing the message that they were not to be messed with. Using his back leg, the horse kicked the man straight in his privates. Oof, that had to hurt.
You can watch the footage here:The man fell right to the ground. Though the video cut off here, it doesn't appear that any on-looking sunbathers ran to his aide. But it's probably just as well. Getting hit right where it hurts will only enforce natural selection, and encourage bystanders that it's okay to look - but not touch - animals in their natural habitat.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service warns that petting or feeding these animals can train them to continue nearing civilisation to receive food and attention. This increases the likelihood that they become sick from human food, or get hit by a car. Avoiding actions like this man's will help save these horses, and save you from a sore nut sack to boot.