ARQALYK: After a few hesitant steps following a long flight from Prague, three Przewalski horses galloped off for the first time into the Kazakh steppe — the native habitat of this endangered species.

The horses emerged after being locked in containers for 20 hours and are the first of 40 which are to be released into the wild in this vast Central Asian country over the next five years.

“We have been waiting for this moment for a very long time,” Albert Salemgareyev from the Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity in Kazakhstan said.

“A lot of work has been carried out in recent months in order for the Przewalski horses to come to Kazakhstan.” The project run by the Prague and Berlin zoo is aimed at preserving this species of stockily built horse with large heads which share a common ancestry with modern domestic horses but are genetically different. Przewalski horses are commonly referred to as one of the world’s last breeds of wild horse.

“We know that the Przewalski horses are suited to this steppe,” said Salemgareyev.

The horses are capable of resisting harsh winters like the ones in Kazakhstan where temperatures can drop below minus 30 degrees Celsius (minus 22 Fahrenheit) and food runs scarce.

The three first specimens — Zorro, Ypsilonka and Zeta II — arrived earlier this month. Four more landed in Kazakhstan from Berlin on Thursday morning and were released in the afternoon.

Published in Dawn, June 11th, 2024