Przewalski horses land safely in Mongolia

The Czech air force plane carrying four prized Przewalski horses from the Prague Zoo has landed in Khovd, Mongolia.

The CASA C-295M transport plane carrying four Przewalski horses bred in captivity landed safely in Khovd, western Mongolia at around after 8:30 am, CET, after a 17 hour flight with two refueling stops in Russia.

“Before take-off, the horses were a little restless, but really just a little, and so far they’re baring the flight very well, Prague Zoo director Miroslav Bobek wrote on the Facebook page dedicated to the project during the flight.


“The flight is exceptionally smooth and not only thanks to the good weather. Over Belarus, we were flying some 150 to 200 meters above the clouds and as we reached our cruising altitude, the captain requested permission to fly higher to ensure that the plane didn’t shake one bit, which wouldn’t have happened in the clouds,” Bobek reported.

From Khovd, the Przewalski horses will be transported 250 kilometers by truck, the last 50 kilometers of which is rough terrain. The project organizers expect the final stage to be the most risky. “The worst is ahead of us,” Bobek posted from western Mongolia.

The horses are to be released in the Hustai Nuruu nature reserve to the south of Altai mountains. Prior to release, they will be kept in a fenced enclosure for observation as they adapt to the local pasture.

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