This small “prehistoric horse” is the ancestor of today’s horse.
The Przewalski’s Wild Horse has a thick neck, a large head with long straight ears. The short legs and its stout body combines elegance and sturdiness. The sandy colour on its back becomes pale white on the belly. Despite its stout body it is adapted to run fast, reaching a speed of up to 64 km/h. It is also a great traveller since it can walk tens of kilometres in one day in order to find food and water. This small horse of 1.4 m at the withers can weigh from 200 to 350 kg (440 to 770 lbs). Its sense of hearing is well developed. Originally, it was found in Mongolia and Eastern China, in the great steppes and lower plains. Some individuals were found on high plateaus at an elevation of up to 2,460 metres (8,000 feet). This herbivore feeds on grass, leaves, shrubs, fruit, roots and occasionally even bark. It is a polygamous animal. A heard includes a dominant reproductive stallion, a few mares and their young. The gestation period lasts between 11 and 12 months and a female will give birth to only one young at a time. Wolves and coyotes are the main predators. This wild horse can live between 25 and 30 years. The Przewalski’s Wild Horse was in direct competition with domestic horses thus the wild horse was hunted and their populations decreased rapidly. The Przewalski’s Wild Horse is seriously threatened of extinction as it had completely disappeared from nature. Protection and reproduction programs made possible reintroduction of this species in some parts of Mongolia.
Przewalski's Wild Horse Equus caballus przewalskii
