Asian Wild Horse

Equus ferus przewalskii

The domestic horse’s closest living wild relative, the Asian wild horse, disappeared entirely from the wild in the late1960s. The Minnesota Zoo and other organizations around the world have cooperated to breed zoo animals and reintroduce their offspring to native lands. Today nearly 500 Asian wild horses again roam the grasslands of China, Mongolia, and Kazakhstan.

What They Eat

Asian wild horses eat coarse, shrubby plants and tall grasses.

Where They Live

The grassy steppes of Eurasia are the Asian wild horse’s historic range, though in recent years humans have forced it to the borders of the stony, sandy Gobi desert.

What They Do

Asian wild horses live in small herds, with a stallion, several mares, and young animals traveling together as they roam the grasslands in search of food to eat.

How They’re Doing

In the 1960s, Asian wild horses disappeared entirely from the wild. Since then, people have worked to preserve habitat and reintroduce animals from zoos to the protected lands. As of 2014, there are about 500 Asian wild horses living in their native habitat in the wild.

asianHorse_webRangeMaps_new

Where in the World

Asia

Habitat

Desert Prairie/Steppe

Conservation Status

conservationStatus_EN

Animal Facts

Weight: 550–750 pounds
Height: 4½ feet at the shoulder
Length: 8½–9½ feet

Taxonomic Category

Mammal, hoofed

Where at the Zoo

Northern Trail

  • Asian wild horses have 66 chromosomes, two more than domestic horses. They can successfully interbreed with domestic horses to produce young with 65 chromosomes.
  • Unlike domestic horses, Asian wild horses shed their mane and tail once a year.
  • All Asian wild horses alive today are descended from 13–14 horses that were in captivity when the species became extinct in the wild.
Asian wild horses have been found on the grasslands of central Asia for thousands of years. However, in the late 1960s the last Asian wild horse was seen in the Gobi Desert in Mongolia. The Asian wild horses went extinct in the wild because of hunting and competition for space with livestock and humans. Despite going extinct in the wild, the species thrived in breeding programs in human care. Transfers of horses from the United States, England, and Germany helped the population grow. Starting in 1990, offspring of these horses were released back into the wild in Mongolia and China. As of 2014, there are nearly 500 Asian wild horses once again roaming the wild grasslands of Asia.