Przewalski’s Horses Arrive in Altyn Dala After 30-Hour Journey

A photo chronicle documenting the transfer of wild Przewalski’s horses to Kazakhstan’s Altyn Dala reserve was published by Prague Zoo, Orda.kz reports.

On June 4, two Czech Air Force transport aircraft landed at the Arqalyq airfield in Qostanay Region. They delivered eight Przewalski’s horses — four from the Czech Republic and four from Hungary — as part of the Return of Wild Horses initiative, which launched in 2024.

Today, Prague Zoo shared on Instagram a detailed photo timeline of how four of the horses were transported from the Czech Republic to Kazakhstan.

Photographers Miroslav Bobek, Oliver Le Queux, and Petr Hamernik captured key moments of the trip: a stallion named Whiskey attempting to escape near Prague, horses eating hay mid-flight, unloading at the airport, and finally, release into the wild and a first walk across the steppe.

According to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Ecology, there are now 15 Przewalski’s horses at Altyn Dala, including the first group of seven brought from the Czech Republic in summer 2024.

The first group has successfully completed the adaptation period and is ready for life in the wild under the protection of state inspectors of the Altyn Dala reserve, said Daniyar Turgambayev, Chairman of the Forestry and Wildlife Committee under the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources.

By 2029, Kazakhstan plans to bring a total of 40–45 horses from Europe, a number officials believe is sufficient to reestablish a full-fledged population in the country.

Original Author: Igor Ulitin