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Tengrinews.kz - A new group of Przewalski’s horses has arrived in Kazakhstan as part of the international “Return of Wild Horses” project, citing the Committee of Forestry and Wildlife at the Ministry of Ecology.
Eight horses — four from Prague Zoo and four from Hungary’s Hortobagy National Park — were transported aboard two military planes that departed on June 2 from the Czech Republic and Hungary.
The animals arrived early on June 3 at the airport in Arkalyk after a nearly 24-hour journey, followed by a five-hour drive to the hoofed animal reintroduction center at the Altyn Dala state nature reserve.
There, the horses will spend about a year in spacious enclosures before being released into the wild.
“As the lead agency for biodiversity conservation in Kazakhstan, it is a great honor to oversee such an important step in restoring our natural heritage. We are pleased to see that the second group has arrived successfully and the first group has completed the adaptation period and is ready to be released into the wild under the protection of our inspectors,” said Daniyar Turgambayev, Deputy Chairman of the Committee of Forestry and Wildlife.
Miroslav Bobek, director of Prague Zoo, added that this is the second time the zoo has coordinated a transport of Przewalski’s horses to Kazakhstan in cooperation with the Czech Army.
“These animals from European zoos will become the foundation for a wild, genetically diverse population. We aim to continue this complex project until a viable population is established,” he said.
The first group of seven horses was brought to Kazakhstan in June 2024. Authorities plan to relocate around 40 to 45 horses by 2029 — enough to form a sustainable wild population.
The Altyn Dala state nature reserve in the Kostanay region has been designated as the release site.
In March 2025, Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, Yerlan Nyssanbayev, announced that Kazakhstan planned to bring four more Turan tigers from Russia to restore the animal's population.
