The Kazakh Steppe, also called the Nice Dala, is a superb expanse of land that stretches from northern Kazakhstan to Central Asia.
A patchwork of grasslands, savannas, and shrublands, the Kazakh Steppe is residence to Saiga antelope, Siberian deer, foxes, badgers, Mongolian gerbils, Russian steppe tortoises — and a rising herd of wild Przewalski’s horses.
Final week, three Przewalski’s horses (named Zorro, Zeta II, and Ypsilon) traveled 3,000 miles — by truck and aircraft — from the Prague Zoo in Czechia to the Altyn Dala reserve within the The Kazakh Steppe.
They’re the primary of 40 horses that may be part of them within the subsequent 5 years, in an try to rewild the species.
“We have now been ready for this second for a really very long time,” Albert Salemgareyev from the Affiliation for the Conservation of Biodiversity in Kazakhstan advised AFP. “Numerous work has been carried out in current months to ensure that the Przewalski horses to return to Kazakhstan.”
Przewalski’s horses have been as soon as native to Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and China, however on account of human interference, they disappeared from the wild utterly within the Nineteen Sixties.
Remarkably, all residing Przewalski’s horses are descended from simply 12 horses — all caught within the wild from 1910 to 1960. Via a long time of conservation efforts led by a community of zoos and nature reserves, the species has been pulled again from the brink of extinction.
There at the moment are 1,900 Przewalski’s horses left on the planet. They’re nonetheless listed as endangered, however their numbers are slowly rising. Rewilding efforts like these might make sure the continued survival of the species, which is extensively considered the final “actually wild” horse species on the earth.
Pavol Šepel’ák, an envoy of the Czech Republic, stated that the undertaking has moved swiftly from its first conception in April 2023.
“I’m very blissful that we are able to return this lovely animal to the land of its habitat,” Šepel’ák stated in a press assertion. “The undertaking itself, which the Prague Zoo known as the Return of Wild Horses 2024, has already had nice success. … I’m very glad that the primary stage was completed in such a brief time period.”
The Altyn Dala reserve spans over 1.2 million acres, however the three horses will reside in a middle inside the bigger reserve for the primary 12 months of rehabilitation for their very own safety.
“There, they are going to be monitored and the work shall be carried out by veterinarians and scientific staff,” Vera Voronova, an government director of the Altyn Dala Conservation Initiative, advised The Astana Occasions.
As extra horses arrive over the subsequent few years, the veterinarians and conservation staff must steadily regulate their operations, however the workforce welcomes the problem.
“In fact, we’ll take into account how one can kind teams amongst these horses,” Voronova defined. “They may proceed to be monitored even after their launch.”
Header picture by way of Petr Jan Juračka / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
