A June 6 news release posted by the Czech Republic’s Prague Zoo announced the historic transport of four more Przewalski’s horses (Equus ferus przewalskii) to central Kazakhstan as part of its Return of the Wild Horses program.

A total of seven horses of this primitive breed have now been relocated to this area, where their ancestors ran free centuries ago. If they acclimate well under supervision in large enclosures, they will eventually be released into the wild here.

The ‘last wild horse on the planet’

It is all part of an international project to reintroduce “a viable population” of Przewalski’s horses to Kazakhstan, as has been done in China, Spain and Mongolia by various organizations. Widely considered the last subspecies of wild horse on the planet, the Przewalski’s horse was already rare when first described in the 19th century and, for more than 30 years, was designated as “extinct in the wild.” Bred in captivity with varied success since the 20th century, the horse is now reportedly classified as “endangered” and under conservation status worldwide.

While this particular project has many partners, the Prague Zoo maintains the International Studbook of the Przewalski’s horse as well as its European breeding program. The zoo has the longest uninterrupted history of breeding these horses in the world and is the chief organizer of these latest reintroductions.

The release on the zoo’s website reads as follows: “Thursday morning, a Czech Army CASA aircraft landed in Arkalyk, central Kazakhstan, with four more Przewalski’s horses. The mares, Tessa, Wespe, Umbra and Sary, had undergone an 18-hour flight from Berlin, followed by a seven-hour truck journey over treacherous terrain. Just before 5 p.m. local time, the mares were released into an acclimatization pen at the Alibi reintroduction center in the Altyn Dala area.

“A stallion, Zorro, and two mares, Zeta II and Ypsilonka, transported from Prague on the first flight, have been acclimatizing in the neighboring pen since Tuesday.”

The ‘purpose of modern zoos’

Prague Zoo Director Miroslav Bobek said, “This is an event of historical import: The seven Przewalski’s that we transported here by two CASA planes represent the first individuals of this species in central Kazakhstan in hundreds of years. With this double transport, we have taken a major step towards returning the last wild horse to another area where it was found in the past. Our goal is to slowly transport at least 40 individuals here, so that a viable population can be set up. Hardly anything could be a better demonstration of the purpose of modern zoos than the Return of the Wild Horses.”

The news release continues: “Today, three mares born in Germany arrived in Altyn Dala, also known as the Golden Steppe: the stalwart 5-year-old Tessa, originally from Tierpark Berlin; the same age dark-legged Wespe, born in the zoo in Weilburg; and the 3 1/2-year-old light-maned Umbra from the semi-natural reserve in Aschaffenburg Schweinheim. They were joined by the youngest, Sary, who will be just 3 years old in two weeks and is the only one from France, coming from ZooSafari de Thoiry.

“Over the past six months, they had been taken to Tierpark Berlin to become acquainted—similar to the situation in Dolní Dobřejov, where Prague Zoo runs a breeding station. The final selection of individuals suitable for transport, primarily with regard to their health, was made by Prague Zoo’s experts in conjunction with colleagues from Tierpark Berlin.”

Time to acclimate

In order to ensure the continued genetic diversity of the local population, the new mares will not join the stallion Zorro and the two mares brought in the first transport. It is hoped that in the future, these new mares will “form a harem” with another breeding stallion instead.

The two large pens—actually enclosures totaling just under 200 acres—will allow the seven horses to become accustomed to local conditions and each another while under close supervision. Before these horses can be released into the wild, the release adds, “they must demonstrate that they are resistant to frost and parasites, as well as being able to find suitable food under heavy snow. Their acclimatization period should last roughly a year.”

Prague Zoo officials, working closely with their partners, are preparing for another transport to Kazakhstan in the spring. Plans are also reportedly underway to transport Przewalski’s horses to the east of Mongolia in 2026, to the “Valley of Monasteries.” This will be a first, according to the zoo.

To read more about this project, click here.