The Przewalski horses went extinct in the wild in the 1960s but have been preserved in captivity, and have recently been reintroduced to the steppe of Kazakhstan after 200 years of absence.
The Przewalski horses, once a critically endangered wild horse species, have returned to the steppes of Kazakhstan after nearly 200 years of absence.
Named after the Russian geographer Nikolai Przewalski, who discovered them in the late 19th century, these sandy-brown horses once roamed the vast grasslands across Central Asia.
Przewalski horses released in the steppes of Arkalyk, Kazakhstan, on June 4, 2024. (Photo: AFP/TTXVN)
However, hunting, habitat changes due to human activities, and harsh winters pushed this species to the brink of extinction by the 1960s.
Recently, the Prague Zoo in the Czech Republic decided to reintroduce this horse species to the Altyn Dala steppe in central Kazakhstan.
Dubbed the “Golden Steppe,” this area encompasses grasslands and wetlands covering up to 7,000 km2 and serves as the original habitat for the Przewalski horse.
In early June, the first group of seven horses was returned to their natural habitat. The zoo also plans to release about 40 more horses over the next five years.
After being transported by the Czech military aircraft from Prague and Berlin (Germany) to the city of Arkalyk in Kazakhstan, the first seven horses continued their journey for an additional seven hours by truck to the steppe area.
Here, the horses will be kept in a controlled environment for one year to learn how to find drinking water and food while adapting to the harsh winters of the region.
The Przewalski horse went extinct in the wild by the late 1960s but still exists in captivity.
Efforts to help this horse species reintegrate into the wild have been successful in China and western Mongolia, with a population of around 850 individuals.
In Kazakhstan, this initiative is part of a broader conservation effort, as these horses play a vital role in maintaining biodiversity by grazing on various grasses and contributing to seed dispersal.
