In a significant effort to protect and preserve the endangered Przewalski's horses, Gansu Province has successfully transferred the last 40 horses between nature reserves. This strategic move aims to prevent inbreeding and enhance the genetic diversity of the species.
The horses were moved from the Anxi Extreme-arid Desert National Nature Reserve to the Dunhuang West Lake National Nature Reserve, increasing the population there from 126 to 166. Before the transfer, comprehensive measures were taken, including setting up fences to acclimate the horses to a captive environment and conducting parasite treatments to ensure their health during transportation.
The Przewalski's horses at Anxi originated from Britain, while those at Dunhuang came from Germany. Without such interventions, these horses might face inbreeding problems in their natural habitats. Sun Weigang, director of the administration and conservation center of the Dunhuang West Lake National Nature Reserve, emphasized the importance of this transfer: \"We aim to increase the population of the species, change their genes and strengthen their resistance for living in the wild to enhance their survival ability.\"
Looking ahead, the last 15 horses will spend several months in a semi-captive environment at Dunhuang to adapt to local conditions before being released into the wild next year. This initiative is part of a broader campaign that began in 1985 to revive wild Przewalski's horses by introducing individuals from other countries and establishing breeding bases in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Gansu.
Last September, 40 horses were released into two wetlands near Dunhuang, and so far, four groups of 30 horses have successfully settled and bred in these areas. Przewalski's horses, native to China and Mongolia, are China's first-class protected animals, retaining their original equine genes. They were once extinct in the wild in the mid-20th century due to excessive hunting and environmental challenges.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
