Prague Zoo announced the details of the June transport of Przewalski’s horses to the Golden Steppe in central Kazakhstan at a press conference. This time too, it will be an extremely demanding operation.
“This year’s transport will begin on Monday, June 2nd – and just like last year, two Czech military CASA aircraft will fly, one from Prague and the other from Debrecen, Hungary. Each of them should have four Przewalski’s horses on board. This will be our eleventh transport of wild horses from Central Europe to Asia. However, I must admit that preparations have never been accompanied by so many complications,” says Prague Zoo Director Miroslav Bobek.
This year’s transport already knows the names of all the Przewalski’s horse candidates. They are selected mainly according to their character traits, health, age, and genetic suitability – so that they are as little related as possible. This year, two stallions and six mares should head to the Altyn Dala area, or the “Golden Steppe”.
The transport of four selected individuals, who will fly from Prague, will begin in the early morning hours of June 2nd at the breeding and acclimatization station in Dolní Dobřejov. Other horses from the Hortobágy National Park will fly from Debrecen on the same day.
The Prague CASA should take off at approximately 1:30 in the afternoon, and a little later, the plane from Debrecen will take off. There will be stopovers in Istanbul and Baku. The plane’s destination is the airport in Arkalyk. From there, the horses will continue by land to the Alibi reintroduction center. Upon arrival, they will first be released into acclimatization pens. There are also seven horses that Prague Zoo transported here last year in cooperation with the Czech Army. These days, they are already preparing to be released into the wild.
Prague Zoo plans to carry out transports to the Golden Steppe in Kazakhstan in the coming years, in order to ensure a viable and stable population. At the same time, however, it is also preparing a large return of Przewalski’s horses to eastern Mongolia, to the Valley of the Monasteries. Prague Zoo plays a crucial role in the story of the last wild horse. It maintains its International Stud Book and the European Breeding Program.
More details is Czech: (the PDF file)
