British Zoo Celebrates Birth Of Rare Endangered Horse That Had Gone Extinct For Almost 40 Years
Przewalski's horse, also called Mongolian wild horse or Dzungarian horse, is a rare and endangered horse originally native to the steppes of Central Asia.
The birth of an extremely rare horse species that went extinct in the wild nearly four decades ago was witnessed in a British zoo.
Rare horse born after 40 years
The male Przewalski foal was born at Marwell Zoo in Hampshire, on May 28th. He was been named 'Basil' by the zookeepers. The birth of this horse was a huge surprise since it went extinct in the wild from 1969 until 2008.
Przewalski's horse, also known as the Mongolian Wild Horse or Dzungarian horse, is a rare and endangered horse originally native to the steppes of Central Asia. It is named after the Russian geographer and explorer Niko?aj Przewalski.
Instagram
Even though the horse had gotten extinct 40 years ago, it was reintroduced to its native habitat in the 1990s at the Khustain Nuruu National Park.
The endangered horse Basil was born to parents Nogger and Speranzer on May 28. But the news was made public on June 28. Staff at the zoo said the arrival of the foal is exciting as Przewalski horses went extinct in the wild from 1969 until 2008.
The horse was named after the first-ever Przewalski's horse male to live at the Hampshire zoo. Marwell Zoo has kept Przewalski's horses since it first opened in 1972. Basil was named after the first-ever Przewalski's horse male to live in the zoo.
BBC
The zoo had informed about this event by sharing it on their Instagram account. The post informed: "The foal was born to parents Nogger and Speranzer on 28 May. Keepers report the foal is staying close to its mother and the females of the herd are also protective. The male foal has been named ¡®Basil¡¯ by keepers after the first male Przewalski¡¯s horse ever to live at the zoo."
The post also mentioned how Basil senior was born in 1963 and joined Marwell in 1970 prior to the opening of the zoo in 1972.
Przewalski's horse is considered the only truly wild horse left on the planet as they do not share any ancestry with the modern domesticated horse. While they do look similar, the domestic horse (equus) has 32 chromosomes, whereas the Przewalski (equus ferus przewalskii) has 33.
These horses can stand and walk within an hour of being born, and within a few weeks, they are able to start to graze. Foals weigh between 25 and 30kg at birth.
This definitely is a one-of-a-kind horse!
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