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 The Takhi, or Przewalski's Horse, once roamed the steppes of Central Asia and Europe, but since 1968 has been extinct in the wild. Hustai National Park's Takhi Re-introduction Programme is part of a world-wide initiative to return the highly endangered species to its Mongolian homeland. The first transport of 16 Takhi arrived in Mongolia in 1992. There have been 84 Takhi re-introduced to the park. The Takhi have adjusted well to Mongolia's harsh climate and threats from predators. Each year, new foals boost the population. The Minnesota Zoo has participated in and contributed animals to this reintroduction program for many years.
The Reintroduction Programme has been supported by the Dutch government for the past ten years. However, recent circumstances have seen the need to greatly reduce costs. This has significantly affected the project operations, forcing a reduction in the number of research staff, and the number of vehicles available. The project badly needed motorbikes to be used as transportation for anti-poaching rangers and research monitoring of the wild herds.
The Ulysses S. Seal Conservation Grant Program awarded this project $2500 in 2004 for the purchase of two motorbikes. Staff Champion for the project was Tony Fisher.
For more information on the conservation project see www.owc.org.mn/macne/hustai.
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