Przewalski’s horse
Equus przewalskii
Animal facts
- Przewalski’s horses are the only breed of wild horse still in existence. They are genetically different from the domestic horse, having a number of different chromosomes.
- Przewalski’s horses live in cohesive, long term herds, led by a senior female. A male is on the periphery and there are 2 or 3 junior mares and their offspring. They can cover vast distances in search of food.
- They were first discovered by Russian Colonel Nikolai Przewalski in 1879.
Where they live
Originally Mongolia, Eastern Asia
Habitat
Open plains and semi desert
What they eat
Grass, leaves, buds
IUCN status
The Mongolian red list of threatened species reclassified the Mongolian Przewalski’s horse from “extinct” in the wild, to “critically endangered”, after recommendation from an international working group co-ordinated by scientists from ZSL. In 1945 there were only 31 horses in captivity but by the early 1990s there were over 1500 and reintroductions began into their harsh, native environment of Mongolia. The reclassification represented a huge milestone for large mammal conservation. Regional Red Lists website
Conservation work
Breeding Przewalski’s horse has a strong history at Whipsnade in recent years and in 2001 a horse bred at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, Priscilla, was reintroduced to Mongolia.
