▁members ▁of ▁the ▁her d , ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁high ▁numbers ▁of ▁b ach elor ▁st all ions . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁a ▁study ▁was ▁conducted ▁by ▁the ▁W arn ell ▁School ▁of ▁Forest ry ▁and ▁Natural ▁Resources ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Georgia ▁to ▁determine ▁public ▁opinion ▁on ▁the ▁management ▁of ▁the ▁fer al ▁liv est ock ▁( h ors es ▁and ▁p igs ) ▁on ▁the ▁island . ▁The ▁research ers ▁found ▁that ▁ 6 8 % ▁of ▁visitors ▁believed ▁the ▁horses ▁were ▁dam aging ▁the ▁habitat ▁of ▁the ▁island , ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁cons ensus ▁on ▁a ▁solution ▁to ▁the ▁problem . ▁The ▁majority ▁of ▁visitors ▁t ended ▁to ▁prefer ▁non - le th al ▁methods ▁of ▁man aging ▁the ▁population , ▁as ▁opposed ▁to ▁non - management ▁or ▁complete ▁er adic ation . ▁At ▁that ▁time , ▁park ▁management ▁felt ▁that ▁although ▁the ▁horses ▁were ▁popular ▁with ▁tour ists , ▁they ▁were ▁also ▁destruct ive ▁to ▁beach ▁e cos ystem s , ▁including ▁an ▁increase ▁in ▁er os ion ▁where ▁horses ▁had ▁e aten ▁grass es ▁that ▁previously ▁held ▁sand ▁in ▁place . ▁The ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁N P CA ▁report ▁emphas ized ▁the ▁negative ▁impact ▁that ▁the ▁horses ▁were ▁having ▁on ▁the ▁island ▁environment , ▁and ▁end ors ed ▁study ▁find ings ▁that ▁between ▁ 5 0 ▁and ▁ 7 0 ▁animals ▁would ▁be ▁an ▁appropriate ▁population ▁for ▁the ▁island . ▁However , ▁the ▁report ▁also ▁noted ▁the ▁management ▁challeng es ▁resulting