Przewalski’s Horse
Mum Naylah with foal Bataar
Przewalski’s Horse Naylah successfully gave birth her first foal, Bataar, four months ago. Since then Bataar has been doing extremely well under the watchful eye of mum. He never likes to venture to far but is settling in to the herd well and bonding with one year old foal, Orlitiza. They both love to play around but Orlitiza still likes to be the boss.
Bataar is growing up fast and once old enough will join a breeding program in the region to help create genetic diversity in the zoo-based population for the species.
Przewalski’s Horse are a rare and critically endangered subspecies of wild horse native to the steppes of Central Asia, specifically China and Mongolia. At one time extinct in the wild, world zoos including Taronga Western Plains Zoo assembled a herd for reintroduction to its native habitat in Mongolia The last wild Przewalski's Horse were seen in 1966.
Przewalski's Horse have never been successfully domesticated and remain a truly wild animal today. The Przewalski's Horse is considered the only remaining truly wild "horse" in the world and may be the closest living wild relative of the domesticated horse.
