TABLE OF CONTENTS - National Zoo

Today’s Przewalski’s horse population enjoys remarkably good genetic health. The
two largest of the four breeding programs are the Species Survival Plan (SSP) in
North America, which has about 190 horses in 21 zoos including the CRC, and the
European equivalent (EEP), which has about 600 horses in 16 countries. The two
other breeding programs are in Holland and Australia.
While the breeding in zoos has been a tremendous success, the ultimate goal of a
breeding program is to re-establish free-ranging, self-sustaining populations of the
species in the wild. Unfortunately, rather than coordinating with each other, each
breeding program has promoted its own idea for how and where to reintroduce the
species. Right now, the best hope for successfully reintroducing wild horses is a
program in the Hustain Nuruu Steppe Reserve, which lies in the low, rolling mountains
of central Mongolia and was historically protected as a khan hunting preserve. The
reserve’s wild horse reintroduction program is a joint effort of the Mongolian
Association for Conservation of Nature and the Environment and the Foundation
Reserves for the Przewalski Horse. Even if the Hustain Nuruu program achieves its
goal of establishing a free-ranging, self-sustaining population of wild horses, more
reintroduction sites will be required to secure the species’ future in the wild.
Sources: Meadows, Robin. “Takhi: The Last Wild Horse.” Zoogoer. September/
October 1997, pages 16-21.
Nowak, Ronald M. and John L. Paradiso. Walker’s Mammals of the World. 4th
edition, Volume II. Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1983. Pages
1157-1163.
Przewalski Horse Species Survival Plan Fact Sheet. 10/90. SSP Coordinator: Oliver
Ryder - Center for Reproduction of Endangered Species - Zoological Society of San
Diego - PO Box 551 - San Diego, CA 92112.
Volf, Jiri. “Przewalski’s Horse.” Grzimek’s Encyclopedia of Mammals. New York:
McGraw Hill Publishing Co., 1990. Volume IV, pages 588-598.
41