While humans prepare to evacuate North Carolina’s Outer Banks in advance of Hurricane Irene’s arrival, the feral ponies that inhabit the Currituck National Wildlife Refuge will stay put and weather the storm.

More than 100 feral horses in the Corolla herd reside on a 7,500-acre sanctuary in the refuge located on the northern tip of North Carolina’s Outer Banks. The refuge is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Corolla Wild Horse Fund (CWHF) manages the horses.

Karen McCalpin, CWHF executive director, said the feral horses have survived similar storms for centuries. During severe weather events such as Hurricane Irene, the Corolla herd horses travel to higher ground near ridges located on the refuge, group together, and turn their backs to the wind, McCalpin explained.

Still, debris strewn by high winds put the animals at risk, she said, as does heavy rain that can cause flooding and even sweep young horses into canals also located on the refuge