Re-introduction of the ‘extinct in the wild’ Przewalski’s horse to the Mongolian Gobi

Summary

Przewalski's horse (Equus ferus przewalskii), extinct in the wild since 1969 and rebuilt entirely from 13 captive founders through a European studbook program, was reintroduced to Mongolia's Dzungarian Gobi starting in 1992, when the International Takhi Group established the Takhin Tal research station within what became the Great Gobi B Strictly Protected Area. Eighty-nine horses were airlifted from Europe across ten transports, with the first harem group released to the wild in 1997; by 2009 the population had grown to 138 fully free-ranging animals, but a catastrophic 2010 dzud winter, which also killed millions of Mongolian livestock, crashed the population to 49. Early mortality was high until 1999-2000 management reforms identified tick-borne equine piroplasmosis as a major cause of death in newly arrived horses and introduced preventive treatment and improved veterinary infrastructure. Because the horses tend to stay near release sites, the final 2004 harem group was moved 120 km west using a soft-release approach with temporary electric fencing, successfully establishing a new population center. Monitoring combines biweekly ranger checks with satellite telemetry on select individuals, and the project has broadened from a single-species focus to an ecosystem approach also benefiting the endangered Asiatic wild ass. The project rates itself Partially Successful, noting the population remains small and vulnerable to extreme weather events, making it too early to declare final success.