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Reintroduction of Asiatic Wild Ass and Wild horses

Zoologische Gesellschaft Frankfurt von 1858 e.V.
A project from Zoologische Gesellschaft Frankfurt von 1858 e.V. in Turgay, Kazakhstan
By reintroducing kulans and wild horses to the kazakh grasslands, we take a big step towards stabilizing and restoring the whole steppe ecosystem.

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About this project

Anne Dohrmann from Zoologische Gesellschaft Frankfurt von 1858 e.V. is responsible for this project
What is the problem?
Kazakhstan is home to one of the last intact grassland ecosystems on earth. Millions of saiga antelopes, wild ass (kulans) and Przewalski's horses once roamed the deserts, semi-deserts and steppes of the Altyn Dala (Golden Steppe). However, intensive hunting and habitat loss have wiped out the majority of the animals. Yet these herbivores are important, as they prevent fires in the steppe through grazing, clear waterholes and fertilize the soil with their droppings.

What do we want to change?
We are committed to restoring stable populations of saigas, kulans and wild horses.
We have already achieved success with the saigas: today, millions of these primeval antelopes are once again grazing in the steppe. Now we are also bringing back wild horses and kulans.
 
How do we achieve this?
As wild horses have been considered extinct in Kazakhstan for 200 years, the animals for our new founder population come from European semi-reserves and zoos. By 2029, 40 animals from Europe will form the core of a new wild horse population in Kazakhstan.
Kulans disappeared from the Golden Steppe 100 years ago. By 2029, we want to bring a founder population of 100 wild ass to the Torgai Steppe. The animals come from the Altyn Emel National Park in southern Kazakhstan.

Who is "we"?
We are the Frankfurt Zoological Society (ZGF), as part of the Altyn Dala Conservation Initiative (ADCI). Our partners in the ADCI are: the Kazakh NGO Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan (ACBK), the Kazakh Ministry of Environment and the NGOs Fauna & Flora and Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).

Where is the project at right now?
In June 2024 and 2025, 7 wild horses arrived at the reintroduction center in central Kazakhstan. The animals spend a year there getting used to the climate and vegetation of the steppe. In June 2025, we finally released the first 6 wild horses into the wild. Two of the mares carry GPS transmitters that allow us to track their movements. 
Since the first kulan transport in 2017, we have transported 4 groups of wild ass to the project area in central Kazakhstan. The movement data of the now free-ranging kulans show that they are making maximum use of the dimensions of their new habitat. At least 3 kulans have been born in the wild since 2024 - confirmation that the animals have settled in well in their new habitat!
There are currently 15 kulans in the acclimatization enclosure.
 
With your donation you support the stabilization of the entire steppe ecosystem. 100% of your donation will go towards the project. Thank you very much!


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