Kazakhstan welcomes wild horse foals after two centuries
Summary and headline written by AI from the source article. How we work
In late August, two Przewalski’s horse foals were born in a reintroduction center within the Altyn Dala State Nature Reserve in central Kazakhstan.
These births mark the first time wild horses have been born on Kazakh land in over 200 years, a milestone for conservation efforts. The foals, both males, were born to mares named Tessa and Umbra, and share the same father, a stallion named Zorro who has since died.
Przewalski’s horses, also known locally as kertagy, are the only wild relatives of the domestic horse. The species faced extinction in the wild until the 1990s, and is currently listed as endangered by the IUCN. Historically, these horses roamed across the steppe grasslands of Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and northern China, playing a vital role in the ecosystem by grazing, disturbing soil, and dispersing seeds.
Kazakhstan’s population of Przewalski’s horses disappeared in the 18th and 19th centuries due to colonization, agriculture, hunting, and crossbreeding with domestic horses. To restore the species, conservationists have reintroduced horses through captive-breeding programs, translocating 22 individuals to Kazakhstan from zoos in Prague and Berlin over the past three years. They plan to bring a total of 40 horses to establish a self-sustaining population, and are now monitoring the growth and development of the newly born foals.
