Przewalski's horses have been reintroduced to their original habitat on the Golden Steppe in Kazakhstan. The release of seven of the world's last wild horses is part of an ambitious plan by Czech and Kazakh animal specialists.
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00:00When Przewalski's horses were first named in the 19th century,
00:03their range had already been reduced to a remote part of western Mongolia.
00:07By the 1960s, none were left in the wild.
00:11Now, an ambitious project launched by Czech and Kazakh animal specialists
00:15is hoping to reverse that trend.
00:17In early June, they began reintroducing these wild horses,
00:21the last in the world, to their original habitat on the Kazakh steppe.
00:30These are the first Przewalski's, the first wild horses
00:34to touch the steppes in central Kazakhstan after hundreds and hundreds of years.
00:45Nearly 50 horses will be released onto the Golden Steppe over the next five years,
00:51free to make their home and hopefully breed and multiply
00:54across the 7,000 square kilometers of grass and wetlands of central Kazakhstan.
00:59Far from their birthplace in captivity at Prague Zoo.
01:15And while these horses may be a little banged up after their long journey,
01:19including flights from Prague to Berlin, then to Erelik in Kazakhstan,
01:23then a five-hour overland trek by truck,
01:26conservationists hope they'll improve the health of the environment by eating,
01:30then spreading seeds and preventing bushfires.
01:33Wild horses and also such as Przewalski horse and Kulans will serve another important role,
01:42especially for the steppe, to prevent, to distribute non-native or not common
01:51plants in the steppe and also prevent the fire.
01:55Vesalian and six mares just introduced in Kazakhstan
01:58will be added to the 850 now roaming wild in Mongolia and China.
02:03200 years after their disappearance,
02:05conservationists are happy to see them finally come back to where they belong.
02:10Andy Hsieh and Bryn Thomas for Taiwan Plus.