Przewalski’s wild horse
Equus [ferus] przewalskii
Przewalski’s wild horse became extinct in the wild in the late 1960s, but the species was preserved at zoos. Since the 1990s, the horses have been reintroduced to their natural habitat. Today, there are hundreds of wild horses galloping across the Mongolian steppes.
The horses live in small family groups consisting of one stallion and a few mares. They must always be alert to flee predators. The mares have a strict hierarchy within the group. The foal is born after a pregnancy period of 11 months.
Conservation
Przewalski’s wild horses born in Korkeasaari Zoo have been part of a reintroduction project in Mongolia in 2018.
This species and the individuals living in Korkeasaari Zoo are part of an ex-situ conservation programme by the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria EAZA, known as the EEP. The aim of the EEP is to maintain a healthy zoo population of the species, and to make reintroductions to the wild possible also in the future.
Kuuluu EEP-suojeluohjelmaan
Endangerment
Distribution
Habitat
Diet
Size
Lifespan
Up to 30 years
Scientific classification
Order: Perissodactyla
Family: Equidae