The herd of wild horses living on North Carolina’s Outer Banks has welcomed its first foal of the season: Charlie.

The Corolla Wild Horse Fund, which manages the herd, announced Charlie’s birth Friday, March 25, on Facebook, saying “foaling season has officially begun.”

“Welcome to the world, baby number one,” the group wrote.

It posted photos of the new colt, who has a fluffy brown coat, prancing around and exploring his home. Facebook users were excited to see the new addition.

“Very precious new little fellow,” one person commented on the post. “Welcome Charlie.”

“So exciting & adorable little Charlie stay wild & free!!” another said.

“The best time of the year seeing all the new little ones,” another wrote.

While announcing Charlie’s birth, the Corolla Wild Horse Fund reminded Outer Banks visitors to “give mares and foals plenty of space,” as it’s “imperative that they have time to bond with each other, and stress can cause all kinds of issues with both mom and foal.”

It’s illegal to come within 50 feet of the wild horses.

“If you are lucky enough to see them, please be respectful and responsible,” the group wrote. “Do not stop and get out of your vehicle, do not hover on top of them (50ft applies when you’re inside a vehicle too), and definitely do not approach, touch, or feed.”

Meg Puckett, herd manager for the Corolla Wild Horse Fund, told The Virginian-Pilot that all foals born in 2022 will have names that start with “C.” The group started using an “alphabetical formula” to name foals in 2020.

An average of four to six foals are born each year, Puckett told the outlet. But in 2021, the herd had nine.

One of the foals born in 2021, Brio, was recently moved to the group’s rescue farm after he was becoming weak and lethargic in the wild, McClatchy News previously reported. Rescuers determined he had pneumonia, but the group said he has been improving and “enjoying the sun and grass.”

Horses are only removed from the wild if they are seriously injured or ill, the group said. Those with minor injuries or illnesses are treated in the field when possible. Once removed from its habitat, a horse can’t return to the wild.

The wild Colonial Spanish Mustangs roam “the northernmost Currituck Outer Banks” and live on 7,544 acres of “diverse habitat,” according to the Corolla Wild Horse Fund.

The group’s role is to “protect, conserve and responsibly manage” the herd, including through “breed conservation, contraceptive darting, soil and plant studies, DNA testing, emergency response, necropsy, fence and cattle guard maintenance, habitat preservation, and advocacy.”

All horses are documented in a database, the group said.

“Horses are not branded or micro chipped. They are identified by color, markings, and their home territories. As many as six aerial counts are conducted by helicopter and compared to field notes,” the group said.