Return of the wild horses—eastern Mongolia

A view of the Valley of Monasteries landscape in eastern Mongolia, where the planned reintroduction of Przewalski’s horses is to take place in the coming years. Photo: Miroslav Bobek, Prague Zoo

Prague Zoo staff, together with their Mongolian colleagues, began seriously considering the idea of launching another reintroduction project for Przewalski’s horses—this time to eastern Mongolia—in 2019. That autumn, the first research expedition took place, and selected sites in eastern Mongolia were looked into.

The plan, which should contribute to strengthening the long-term sustainability of wild horse populations in Mongolia, was welcomed by local conservation authorities and the then Ministry of Environment and Tourism (now the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change) of Mongolia. The project is coordinated by Prague Zoo and involves professional institutions, especially universities, from both countries. To take care of actually running the project, a non-profit organisation was set up: We Help Them to Survive—Mongolia.

Using remote sensing methods to assess satellite data, a broader region of eastern Mongolia, defined during a research expedition in autumn 2019, was given an initial evaluation. The assessment took in parameters such as vegetation cover and its quality, the availability of water resources, local climatic conditions, etc. Based on the results obtained, four sites were subsequently identified for on-site follow-up surveys.

The first of the field studies took place in 2021 and looked into tick-borne diseases affecting horses. The next year, in May 2022, the core phase of the research began with a detailed survey of four shortlisted sites to help decide which of them would be most suitable for reintroduction. Building on the findings, Prague Zoo staff undertook two further expeditions. Their main goal was to evaluate how many horses the areas could realistically support, while also considering potential competition from existing herbivores. After the last expedition, in January 2023, the Valley of Monasteries was chosen as the ideal site for the reintroduction of the horses.

The area, covering 1,700 km², lies largely within the Strictly Protected Area of Numrug, located in the easternmost tip of Mongolia. The steppe there is more fertile than in western Mongolia and gradually transitions into forest steppe, offering the horses more shelter from harsh weather conditions.