Many thanks to Ivan Rehak and Prague Zoo for your contributions and edits, often from the field, to make this story possible!
The Return of the Wild Horses project, led by Prague Zoo, reached a major milestone this summer when it released horses to a natural habitat in Kazakhstan. This is the first time in over 200 years that Przewalski’s horses have inhabited central Kazakhstan, and their release represents decades of work by leading international zoos that are members of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA).
“This is a major milestone for the species, and follows the successful reintroduction of the Przewalski’s horse to the steppes of Mongolia,” said Miroslav Bobek, Director of Prague Zoo.
The Przewalski’s horse was exterminated in nature decades ago. In 1967, a single harem group was sited in Mongolia. Two years later only a single stallion was reported, and was the last observed Przewalski’s horse in the wild until reintroduction project led by Dutch and German-Swiss foundations and later Prague Zoo brought the wild horses back, first to the steppes of Mongolia and now, in 2024, to Kazakhstan.
In the steppes of southwestern Mongolia, Return of the Wild Horses project has helped to establish a viable population through a series of transfers completed over years. This was not done alone. Led by Prague Zoo, the project works closely with the International Takhi Group (ITG) and with the EAZA Ex-situ Program (EEP), a conservation alliance that coordinates efforts across a cadre of international supporters.
Formed in 1986, the Przewalski’s horse EEP maintains an insurance population of Przewalski’s horses within ex situ institutions that may be transferred to the wild. Thus, the EEP serves as a source for reintroduction and assisted colonization (rewilding). Additional goals include conservation education, as this is the last species of wild horse and serves as a model conservation story.
To ensure a long-term, healthy population, the Przewalski’s horse EEP members use ZIMS for Studbooks and PMx from Species360 to coordinate the breeding of horses from a population of more than 800 individuals at 80 different institutions.
“Sharing population data is crucial for overall transfer and breeding plans,” says Bobek. “Without data shared via ZIMS and analysis of this data in PMx, long-term genetic management of the population would not be possible. The long-term goal is to maintain a sustainable and viable insurance population with as much genetic diversity as possible, to fulfill the described roles, and to increase the global number and size of wild populations within the species’ historical range (Mongolia, Kazakhstan, China) by supporting existing populations and establishing new reintroduction projects.”
Together with the EEP, the international studbook is managed by Prague Zoo and dates back to 1959. All transfers, reproduction, and selection of founder animals for reintroduction or rewilding projects are based on pedigree records in the International Studbook.
For example, Tierpark Berlin has participated in the breeding, management and reintroduction of the Przewalski´s horse. As part of the EEP and Return of Wild Horses project, it provides horses from its breeding facility, brings candidates from other European institutions to its breeding facility and participates in their transport.
The Hortobágy National Park has already participated in the reintroduction of Przewalski’s horse in the past, including in cooperation with the Prague Zoo.
Currently, the largest population of Przewalski’s horse lives on its territory outside the area of its original occurrence. Selected horses from this park will also be candidates for transport to Kazakhstan.
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