Kertagy Reintroduction to Central Kazakhstan

Przewalski's horses return to Central Kazakhstan

„Kertagy“ – the kazakh name for the charismatic wild horse (Equus ferus przewalskii) was almost forgotten. Already 200 years ago, human pressure eradicated the ancient mammal from the Kazakh steppe. Now, we are bringing kertagys back: a return of a prehistoric species to its ancestral home. June 2025 marked a major milestone: we released the first 6 kertagy into the wilderness of Altyn Dala.

Zorro, Wespe, Umbra, Sary, Tessa and Ypsilonka are the pioneers of a new chance for wild horses in Kazakhstan.

As native megafauna of the steppe, wild horses help maintain the functionality of the grassland ecosystem. Through their grazing, they help to bring the nutrients of the plant material back to the soil, prevent wildfires and through physical impact the horses create micro-habitats for insects.

A boost for biodiversity and climate resilience!

Help us write history with hoof prints on steppe soil!

Wild horses were declared extinct in the wild in 1969. Only through targeted breeding based on the remaining individuals in European Zoos could the species be saved. Suitable animals out of these captive populations are now being reintroduced to Central Kazakhstan.

Extensive paperwork is needed to meet the requirements of international transportation of endangered species.

The „Przewalski’s horse“ is the last wild horse species on the planet. Through human pressures, they were eradicated from Kazakhstan already 200 years ago. Now, within the framework of the Altyn Dala Conservation Initiative, the conditions for a successful comeback are good.

Zoo Prague holds the European studbook for wild horses and leads on the logistical aspects of transporting eight horses annually from Europe to Kazakhstan until 2028. Just like for the P-horse reintroductions to Mongolia, Czech Army planes carry four animals at a time.

Horses are a central asset of the Kazakh culture. The first signs of equine domestication were found in Kazakhstan and date back to 5.000 years ago. Along with the return of the wild horses, their ancient kazakh name „kertagy“ makes a comeback into common parlance.

A box carrying the stallion „Zorro“ is carefully lowered onto the ground of the Torgai steppe. The horse’s total journey from Zoo Prague to Alibi took almost 30 hours.

After arrival, the kertagy pioneers spend a year within large acclimatization enclosures at the reintroduction center „Alibi“. It is a safe space for getting used to the climate, the vegetation, and how to find natural water bodies.

Close monitoring allows our team to take informed management decisions at all times.

A representative number of horses is fitted with GPS collars prior to release into the vast surrounding wilderness. The Leibniz Institute for Zoo- and Wildlife Research leads on veterinary interventions like these with great expertise.

A historic moment for the restoration of the full steppe ecosystem: after 200 years of local extinction, the first six kertagy are released into the Altyn Dala landscape.

Unlike kulans, the horses remain a sense of belonging to the reintroduction center even after release. After connecting with the newly arrived kertagy within the enclosures through the fence, they chose to stay in their vicinity.

Zorro, Umbra, Wespe, Tessa, Sary and Ypsilonka are the names of the free-roaming kertagy pioneers. The target for inducing a self-sustaining population growth lies at about 40 translocated kertagys until 2028.

The Przewalski’s horse is the last genetically wild horse on Earth. Although the species did vanish entirely from the wild in the 1960ies, several individuals endured in European zoos. Through a breeding program, a captive population could be rebuilt. In the 1990s, the first reintroductions to the wild began, first to China and subsequently to Mongolia. In 2023, the Kazakh Government initiated the return of the Przewalski’s horse from Europe to Kazakhstan.

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Prague Zoo coordinates the species‘ studbook, chooses suitable horses, and leads on the international transport from European zoos to Kazakhstan. Once the horses arrive in Kazakhstan, FZS and ACBK within the framework of the Altyn Dala Conservation Initiative take over and provide a safe acclimatization period at “Alibi” reintroduction Center and in the wild.