While domesticated horses are common in today's world, wild horses on the other hand are classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List as "endangered." The estimated population of Przewalski's horse is only a few hundred, among which, 42 live in Huangcaotan Przewalski's horse base in northwest China. More optimistically, 7 of the 42 horses are new born foals. 

Huangcaotan Przewalski's horse base is located in Anxi, Gansu Province in northwest China. Pu Xinghong, manager of the base, said female Przewalski's horses delivered foals in May. The mares gave birth to a total of 7 foals this year, all of which survived and are healthy.

"There are 42 Przewalski's horses in the reserve. They have formed three breeding groups, and one all-male group," said Pu. 

Measures have been taken to improve the environment at the reserve in Gansu. More wild animals ensures that predators have enough food sources, so they will be less likely to prey on wild horse foals. 

Gansu Anxi Extreme Arid Desert National Nature Reserve is the only of its kind in China specializing in biodiversity in extremely arid ranges. The total area of the reserve is 800,000 hectares. 

The wild horse protection program has been implemented for 22 years, and the horses have been adapted to wilderness for 14 years. Researcher Pei Pengzu said the next step will be to evaluate genetic diversity and improving the genetic structure of the population to prepare them for their return to the wild. 

The Przewalski's horse is a rare and endangered horse native to the steppes of central Asia. Only 12 individual horses were left on the planet by the end of the 1950s. Once extinct in the wild, the Przewalski's horse has been reintroduced to its native habitat in China and Mongolia. 

(Cover photo a still from the video, edited by An Qi.)

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