The population of Przewalski's horses has been growing steadily in the Xihu National Nature Reserve over the past 10 years thanks to persistent protection efforts in Dunhuang City of northwest China's Gansu Province.

The number of wild horses has increased to 70 after 28 horses were released into the wild in 2010 and 2012, according to the management office of the reserve.

The Przewalski's horse, named after its Russian discoverer, is an endangered species native to the desert grassland of Central Asia. It is considered the last wild horse species in existence today since the Tarpan became extinct in 1875.

The management office's statistics suggest that the Przewalski's horses at the reserve naturally form a group comprising of 10 to 11 individuals.

"Every year, there is a net increase of 4.2 Przewalski's horses here, and the growth is relatively quick. The result of the first experimental release and the second release of Przewalski's horses back to the wild with our monitoring showed that the horses have already adapted to the natural environment in Xihu. Also, the release is successful, judged by the speed and amount of breeding," said Sun Zhicheng, chief engineer of the management office of the Xihu National Nature Reserve.

(Cover image via VCG.)

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