Forty years after a landmark reintroduction effort, the Chinese mainland’s Przewalski’s horses have galloped past 900 individuals—roughly one-third of the global population.
Originally native to the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region’s Junggar Basin and adjacent Mongolian steppe, the world’s only surviving wild horse faced extinction in the mid-20th century.
Thanks to decades of habitat restoration and careful breeding at venues like the Xinjiang Wild Horse Breeding and Research Center—Asia’s largest—the population has flourished. Since its founding, the center has bred over 800 horses and released 146 into protected reserves.
Rewilding efforts are now expanding across Ningxia, Inner Mongolia, and Gansu Province, with new corridors linking grasslands and boosting genetic diversity. Conservationists say enlarging habitats and community-led protection are vital to ensuring the species’ long-term survival.
As the herd continues to thrive, the journey of the Przewalski’s horse highlights the power of targeted conservation, cross-regional cooperation, and a shared commitment to restoring the wild spirit of our planet.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
