PERSISTENT drought ravaging the country due to low rainfall continues to threaten scores of feral horses that inhabit the Namib Desert about 20 kilometres west of Aus settlement in the South. This has prompted the Namibia Wild Horses Foundation (NWHF) to appeal for funds or good quality grass during this more severe period to see the horses through the winter. NWHF was established in 2012 to monitor the well-being of the horses and to marshal funds for buying feed when the need arises during the drier cycles. In a statement yesterday, the foundation said there is little grass in the horses' range as the drought has severely affected the central and southern parts of the country. "The foundation fears that without rain there will be virtually no grass left by the onset of winter and as the horses' condition further deteriorates, numbers will begin to drop dramatically," the statement reads. The foundation also expressed gratitude for all generous contributions for the horses during the past six months. This, it said, has provided supplementary feed - a quarter to a third of the horses' nutritional requirements - in the form of grass and lucern and protein licks, and will sustain the herd until the beginning of June when the next phase will need to be implemented to ensure their survival. According to Telane' Greyling, the horse population is presently around 160, adding more than 100 mainly young and old animals had died since the beginning of the drought. She added hyenas spotted in the area had played a part in the mortalities as the horses are easy prey in their weakened state. Greyling revealed that not a single foal has survived the drought in the last three years. "It is necessary to maintain a population of at least 50 mares and 50 stallions to preserve the genetic integrity of the Namib horses," she stated. Donations to buy grass or lucern for the horses can be made to Namibia Wild Horses Foundation, First National Bank, current account 62246659489 Klein Windhoek branch ( code 281479) and swift FIRNNANX.