Marwell Zoo plays key role in the return of Endangered horses to the wild

We’re helping to secure the future of one of the world’s rarest horse species as two Endangered Przewalski’s horses are set to return to the wild in their native Kazakhstan.

Shara and Togs, two female Przewalski’s horses born and raised here at Marwell Zoo, are being reintroduced as part of ongoing international efforts to save the species from extinction.

Previously listed Extinct in the Wild on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List from 1969 until 2008, the horses have made a remarkable comeback thanks to dedicated breeding and reintroduction programmes led by conservation organisations across Europe, including Marwell.

The horses’ return to the wild is another important step forward in our long-standing work with the species which has played a vital role in their re-classification to ‘Endangered’ in 2011.

Shara and Togs will first travel to Berlin, where they will join a larger group of horses who have been earmarked for release in Kazakhstan. The re-introduction is part of the Return of the Wild Horses project lead by the Prague Zoo with European partners Tierpark Berlin, the Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan (ACBK) and Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS), among others.

Ian Goodwin, Animal Operations Manager at Marwell Zoo, said: “To have watched these horses grazing in our Valley Field behind Café Graze, knowing they’ll soon be returning to their native landscape is incredibly special. Not long ago, Przewalski’s horses were extinct in the wild, so being part of their return is extremely exciting.

“They were one of the very first species at the zoo when it opened in 1972, so we have been working with them for more than 50 years. Thanks to our strong breeding success, we’re able to play an active role in rebuilding wild populations where they belong.

“It’s the perfect example of what can be achieved when we all work together to save a species.”

The animals alive today are descended from just 12 captive individuals after the population in the wild was declared extinct, highlighting the importance of continued conservation action.

Przewalski’s horses typically live in harems consisting of a group of females and one stallion. Foals will stay with the harem until they are two-three years old, at which point males form bachelor groups before attempting to establish their own harems at around five years of age.

Przewalski’s horses are now listed as Endangered on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species with populations increasing thanks to zoo breeding programmes such as Marwell’s.

In the mid 18th Century wild Przewalski’s horses would have been found from the Russian Steppes east to Kazakhstan, Mongolia and northern China.