Przewalski horses are back: New life in Kazakhstan's steppe!
Przewalski horses are back: New life in Kazakhstan's steppe!
The first steps were taken a year ago to enable one of the last game horses of the world to return to its original habitat. In June 2024, four Przewalski horses from the Berlin Zoo, together with other animals from the Prague Zoo, were released into the Kazakh steppe. These animals have been the first herd since their quasi extinction in the wild and mark an important part of the efforts to create a stable population of Przewalski horses in Kazakhstan.Julia Bohner, veterinarian at the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), played a crucial role in the medical care of the animals during her stay in a 55 hectare enclosure in Berlin. There they were prepared for the extreme conditions of the Kazakh climate, which includes summer heat and winter cold up to -30 degrees. The horses learned to dig for food in the snow and to cover their water requirements in a natural way.
a new home in the ALTYN-DALA steppe
The ZDF newspaper reports that the Initiative was founded with the aim of restoring the steppe and thus the beauty and biodiversity of Kazakhstan. The Przewalski horses are introduced to the ALTYN-DALA steppe, a nature reserve, which is protected by rangers and is far from civilization. This area is manned not only for horses, but also for other endangered species such as Kulan Wildesel and Saiga antelopes.
The return of the Przewalski horses is accompanied by a GPS tracking system that enables researchers to monitor the movements of the animals and to ensure their safety. The aim is to make at least 40 other wild horses over a period of five years and to establish a new, independent population in the steppe.
Ecological importance of the release
Nature conservation not only has a preserving function, but also an important role in the ecosystem. Przewalski horses are robust and able to survive in different climatic conditions. By grasping the grassland, they contribute to the promotion of biodiversity and make the areas less susceptible to fires. This is part of the overall goal of the "Alty Dala Conservation Initiative", which was recognized by the United Nations as "World Restoration Flagship" in order to secure the biodiversity in Kazakhstan.
The release of the Przewalski horses therefore represents an important building block in the return of these almost extinct animals into the open game. With planned further release and the first successes in the ALTYN-DALA steppe, the nature conservationists hope that these species will not only survive, but will flourish, and thus open a new chapter in the history of these Majestic horses.
For more information, visit the articles on rbbb24 ZDF and Tierpark Berlin .
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| Ort | Berlin, Deutschland |
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