The Przewalski’s horses only returned to the Golden Steppe in central Kazakhstan yesterday, when the harem led by the stallion Zorro left the acclimatization pen after a year. From left: Sary, Wespe, Ypsilonka, the stallion Zorro, Umbra and on the far right, the mare Tessa. Photo Miroslav Bobek, Prague Zoo
Wednesday, 4 June 2025, at 6 p.m. local time, the gate of the acclimatization enclosure opened, and the first Převalsky’s horses in central Kazakhstan ran out into freedom. The Převalskys’ horses, imported last June, have adapted well to the local conditions, and the stallion Zorro was able to lead his harem of five mares to their new home – the vast Golden Steppe (Altyn Dala). Researchers fitted the mares, Wespe and Umbra, with GPS collars so that the group could be monitored further. Thanks to Prague Zoo and its partners, the wild horses have now returned to the wilds of Kazakhstan, from where they disappeared hundreds of years ago due to human activity. The horses transported from Europe this week have meanwhile survived their first night in the reintroduction center in excellent condition.
“This is, without exaggeration, a historic moment,” said Prague Zoo Director Miroslav Bobek. “The Przewalski’s horses are back in their new home. When the herd came out of the acclimatization pen, they were completely calm, and in the low evening sun, they allowed us to take impressive photographs. It was a touching moment, in which months and months of preparation and extremely demanding transports by CASA aircraft of the Czech Army paid off. This is the highest goal in the efforts of modern zoos.”
The first moments of the first Przewalski’s horses in the wild of central Kazakhstan. From left: The mares Sary, Wespe, Ypsilonka, Umbra and the stallion Zorro. The mare Tessa is hidden behind the stallion in this photo. Photo Miroslav Bobek, Prague Zoo
The stallion Zorro and the mares Ypsilonka, Umbra, Wespe, Sary and Tessa behaved completely naturally after running out of the pen. They immediately started grazing and were even soon rolling around in the steppe vegetation.
Zeta II, imported last year with Zina II and Grâce, transported this year, and the stallion Galvan with four mares from the Hungarian Hortobágy National Park remain in the acclimatization pens in the Golden Steppe.
A captivating sight – the first herd of Przewalski’s horses runs through the landscape where their ancestors became extinct hundreds of years ago. Photo Miroslav Bobek, Prague Zoo