  We study the stability of non-Abelian semi-local vortices based on an N=2
supersymmetric H = [SU(Nc) x U(1)]/Z_Nc = U(Nc) gauge theory with an arbitrary
number of flavors (Nf > Nc) in the fundamental representation, when certain N=1
mass terms are present, making the vortex solutions no longer BPS-saturated.
Local (ANO-like) vortices are found to be stable against fluctuations in the
transverse directions. Strong evidence is found that the ANO-like vortices are
actually the true minima. In other words, the semi-local moduli, which are
present in the BPS limit, disappear in our non-BPS system, leaving the vortex
with the orientational moduli CP(Nc-1) only. We discuss the implications of
this fact on the system in which the U(Nc) model arises as the low-energy
approximation of an underlying e.g. G = SU(Nc+1) gauge theory.
