Abstract

The Przewalski’s horse (Equus ferus przewalskii), or takhi in Mongolian, became extinct in the wild by the mid-1960s. The last recorded sightings of Przewalski’s horses occurred in the Dzungarian Gobi Desert in southwest Mongolia. The species has only survived due to captive breeding based on 13 founder animals. A private fund and the Mongolian Society for the Conservation of Rare Animals of the Ministry of Environment initiated the Takhin Tal Project with the support of various international sponsors. In 1999 the International Takhi Group (ITG) was established to continue and extend this project in accordance with the IUCN reintroduction guidelines. In 1992 the first group of captive born Przewalski’s horses were airlifted to the Takhin Tal site (45.53.80 N, 93.65.22 E) at the edge of the 9,000 km² Greater-Gobi-B Strictly Protected Area (SPA) and International Biosphere Reserve. Subsequent transports were carried out in the following years and to date, a total of 73 horses have been transported. In 1997 the first harem group was released into the wild from the adaptation enclosures, and in 1999 the first foals were successfully raised in the wild. At present 63 Przewalski’s horses live at the Takhin Tal site with 50 horses belonging to four harems and one bachelor group ranging freely in the Gobi-B National Park. Due to its important symbolic value in Mongolian culture the Przewalski’s horse has become an important vehicle for national park development. The Gobi-B is also a cultural landscape and management aims to conserve it as a biosphere reserve in the sense of the IUCN. The vision is the integral protection of the Gobi habitat and the lifestyle of the semi-nomadic herders.

Establishing a permanent field station at the edge of the national park with the necessary infrastructure (solar power, laboratory, office, vehicles, and petrol) and communication abilities (satellite-based email and phone) has proven crucial to the development of the project. Initiating training possibilities for young Mongolian biologists and creating employment has resulted in a well-trained and motivated local staff and essential project advocates. Starting out initially as a single-species reintroduction project, the magnitude of the activities has greatly expanded in recent years. Seen from a species perspective, research projects dealing with the Mongolian wild ass (E. h. hemionus), grey wolf (Canis lupus), and various rodent species have been implemented. Whereas the initial reintroduction efforts were by and large driven by veterinarians and biologists, the disciplinary scope has also been significantly broadened with botanists and remote-sensing experts involved with habitat mapping, and assessment and community development experts establishing a socio-economic framework for future project development. Away from the field an important prerequisite for project advancement has proven to be lobbying activities both in Ulaanbaatar and to the international community. Lobbying activities not only enhance information flow and political understanding for the project, but also create collaborative opportunities and necessary alliances.

Comprehensive interdisciplinary monitoring and research are the foundation for management decisions at the present but training and empowerment of local scientists and residents will constitute the future of this program.