Mongolian Success for Dubbo's Przewalski Horses

It's 16 years since Dubbo Zoo first sent Przewalski horses to Mongolia, and one of their keepers has recently spent a month checking on their progress.

Earlier this year, Dubbo zoo keeper Todd Jenkinson spent a month waking up at 5am, climbing on board an old four-wheel drive and going in search of harems of wild Mongolian horses.

Among the mountainous landscape of the Hustai National Park in Mongolia are 664 species of fish, birds, insects and mammals including his favourite animal, the Przewalski horse.

Back in 1994, Taronga Western Plains Zoo first introduced some of their Przewalski horses to Hustai National Park, and since then 10 groups have been released into the area.

Todd was visiting Mongolia to check on the animals' progress, and monitor their movement around the park for environmental reasons. "We were documenting where the horses were stopping and grazing and their favourite grazing areas," he said. "We have biologists studying the areas that the animals spend time grazing in, and the long term viability of that grazing. It's early days of those surveys but we think about 500 horses might be a good amount in the park."

The Dubbo-based zoo keeper was in Mongolia as part of a Zoo Friends scholarship - a program that gives staff at Taronga Western Plains Zoo the chance to travel to areas that will improve their knowledge in their line of work.

"You'd wake up excited in the morning about the day's work ahead and when I came back to Australia I really missed doing it," he said. "Where I was, they have very steep areas and during the evening the horses come down to drink water then they head back up in the hills later in the day."

The weather can get extremely cold too - the first horses released from the Dubbo zoo died earlier this year from a 10 day snow storm. However, the news overall is positive with the Przewalski horse population growing by 7% each year.

This is a strong result for a species that has, through careful worldwide zoo and wildlife management, been brought back from the brink of extinction.

"The Mongolians are very passionate about what they call their horse," Todd said. "You find the Przewalski horse on some of their notes - they're very protective of the species."

In the 50,000ha national park the horse has a natural predator in the Mongolian wolf, however the easier prey of red deer and antelopes mean the horse is a less appealing target.

Todd also said he enjoyed seeing the food chain in action when his group spotted both species of vulture that live in the national park feasting on a carcass.

The Przewalski horse is considered the only true wild horse in the world, and as a result hasn't been domesticated.

Nowadays the horse is listed as 'critically endangered', which Todd says is good compared to the likelihood some years ago of the species becoming extinct.

"My mission is to encourage people to stop and learn their story at the zoo. Most people would just drive past the exhibit and think it's 'just a horse'. It's a feel good story and a motivating one not to give up on wildlife."

story: www.abc.net.au