A Legendary Breed of Wild Horse Returns to Russia
In a significant conservation effort, six Przewalski horses have been reintroduced to Russia, marking a hopeful step towards restoring this endangered species and revitalizing the steppe ecosystem. With only about 2,000 Przewalski horses left globally, this initiative aims to increase their numbers in the wild.
Zoologists highlight the rarity of truly wild horses, with the Przewalski horse being one of the few remaining. Of the less than 2,000 Przewalski horses, 300 live in the wild, while about 1,500 are in captive breeding programs and zoos. Le Villaret in France is one of the largest natural reserves for these horses.
Recently, six Przewalski horses were transported by plane from France to the Russian city of Orenburg as part of a new program to return them to their original habitat. China and Mongolia initiated similar reintroduction programs in the early 1990s. Additionally, a few horses were released into the exclusion zone near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine, where they have thrived despite the radiation, now numbering about 100.
About the Przewalski Horse
The Przewalski horse was first identified in 1879 by Russian explorer and naturalist Nikolai Przhevalsky during his second expedition to Central Asia. These horses live in family groups led by a strong stallion who decides the group's direction and watering places. In cold winters, they warm themselves by standing in a circle, protecting foals and sick horses in the middle. They have short, strong legs and a distinctive black stripe along their back.
The Przewalski horse is listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation, the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
Why They Left the Steppe
About 100 years ago, the Przewalski horse roamed the Eurasian steppes across Russia, China, Mongolia, and Kazakhstan. However, they were driven from their habitat due to human development of cattle-breeding. Unable to roam freely, the species faced extinction.
Today, these horses are mostly found in zoos, where captivity adversely affects them as they are naturally accustomed to covering vast distances daily.
As with European bison, when the number of captive horses reached a critical mass, efforts began to return them to the wild. The horses were presented to Orenburg by the French Association for the Przewalski Horse (Association pour le cheval de Przewalski, or TAKH). At the Tour du Valat Biological Station, several generations of horses are kept in a fenced-off area resembling their natural environment.
The Steppe Needs the Horse
The reintroduction program was initiated by the Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution at the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Orenburg Reserve. The steppe territory is the historic home of the Przewalski horse, and the steppe ecosystem relies on these horses for survival.
"In steppe ecosystems, these animals contribute to their recovery," said Olga Pereladova, head of the World Wildlife Fund's Central Asian program. "If horses are not grazing, the steppe deteriorates because vegetation is not trampled; an overabundance of grass can lead to fires."
Scientists emphasize the importance of the horses adapting to the Ural steppes without mixing with farm-raised horses, which could compromise their unique gene pool. Initially, the horses are kept in a fenced-off reserve to form a stable population capable of natural selection. To achieve this, a population of 1,000 horses, with half being of reproductive age, is necessary.