13. The Przewalski’s horse and its reintroduction in the steppe of Hustai National Park, Mongolia

Abstract

The Przewalski’s horse – Takh in Mongolian – is the last surviving genuine wild horse, and a close relative of the domestic horse. The Takh once roamed the steppes of Central Asia and Europe, but since the 1960s has gone extinct from the wild. The Reintroduction Project for the Takh was set up to bring back the species to its Mongolian homeland. A breeding programme was started to build a new population and secure its genetic basis. In Germany and the Netherlands several semireserves were established, where the Takh were able to adapt to live in large open territories. The best adapted second-generation Takh were chosen to be released back into the wild. The fi rst transport of 16 Takh took place in 1992. Ultimately, 84 Takh have been re-introduced to Hustai National Park, and they adjusted well. Each year new foals added to the population and in 2009 the population had grown to 260 horses. Wolves are the main predators in Hustai National park.