A foal of the Przewalski's horse has been born at the Almaty Zoo. Named Zhelmay, the colt is the second offspring of the mare Kurbankul, according to the Almaty city administration. For more details, visit infohub.kz.
The Przewalski's horse is one of the rarest wild horse species on the planet. It is listed in Kazakhstan's Red Book and the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List.
The Almaty Zoo participates in programs to conserve endangered animals, including the saiga, polar bear, Steller's sea eagle, and, of course, the Przewalski's horse. Each birth brings joy to staff and contributes significantly to preserving biodiversity and the future of endangered species.
"We create the most comfortable conditions for the animals, select pairs based on recommendations from the international breeding program, and ensure constant veterinary monitoring. The birth of each foal confirms that this work is yielding results and helping to preserve the only remaining species of wild horse in the world," said Agybai Azhibayev, deputy director for zoo veterinary affairs at the Almaty Zoo.
For now, the Przewalski's horse family is in a special quiet zone closed to visitors. The mother and foal are doing well. Earlier, a group of Przewalski's horses was brought to Kazakhstan from the Berlin Zoo. More about how these animals live in the Kazakh steppes can be found in previous publications.