The last four of the Chincoteague ponies afflicted with a fungus-like ailment have been euthanized after it proved impossible to save them, authorities said. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)The last four of the Chincoteague ponies afflicted by an infection sometimes called “swamp cancer” have been euthanized, authorities said. The ponies were part of a celebrated herd of wild horses that live on Assateague Island, on Virginia’s Atlantic Coast. Although the ponies’ care was the best available, the decision was made to euthanize the last four that had the disease, a spokeswoman for the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company said Friday on Facebook. Each year, the ponies swim across a channel to Chincoteague Island, where some are sold.

Source: Washington Post December 30, 2018 02:08 UTC