Eighteen Mongolian wild horses will soon be returned to the wild in the Gobi Desert near Dunhuang Cityin northwest China's Gansu Province.
Mongolian wild horses, which are always brown, originated in China's Junggar Basin and the border areas of China and Mongolia. They were last seen in their northwest China habitat in the 1960s and worldwide there are only about 1,000 left.
Raised in world zoos for generations, the horses are now at risk of the skills and physical condition required to survive in their original habitat, experts say.
Interbreeding among wild horses in zoos can cause infertility. Lack of exercise leads to an increase in weight, and a decrease in running speed and eating the wrong food will lead to the degeneration of the jaw and teeth.
The only way to save the wild horse is to return it to the wild and put it under the pressure of natural selection.
An animal breeding center in Wuwei City, Gansu Province, has reproduced wild horses being raised in Germany and the United States since the 1980s. It introduced 15 wild horses from zoos in the two countries. Now there are 58 wild horses at the center.
Experts believe that the Wanyaodun Nature Reserve near Dunhuanghas the right environment for the wild horses. A variety of wild plants and plenty of underground water can be found in the region.
After the horses are returned to the wild, they will be closely tracked and observed by experts to find out if they can adapt successfully.
(China Daily May 11, 2002)
