Here's some more information on Mustang's natural enemies.
From "The Mustangs", by James Frank Dobie
Quote:
Over the greater part of North America, the only formidable natural enemies met by the Spanish horses, aside from flies, mosquitoes and screw worms, were the panther and the lobo - the timber, or buffalo, wolf. All horses are afraid of bears, but the grizzlies in California, where they were most numerous, killed few horses. Living on the prairies, the wild horses were comparatively free of insect pests.
Wolves in packs followed the buffalo herds, cutting off and bringing down stragglers. They sometimes attacked mustangs also, but horse flesh was never their main diet. After cattle took the place of buffaloes, they continued to prey more on cattle than on horses.
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From "Montana Outdoors" March–April 2003
Quote:
Because the mustangs have few natural enemies (primarily mountain lions and bears) and cannot be hunted, the Pryor Mountain population could quickly grow too large for the available habitat.
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