Twelve Przewalski's horses were released into the wild on Tuesday in northwest China's Ningxia as part of efforts to restore the population of this critically endangered species. Together with six horses released in February, they are expected to form three herds.

Once extinct in China due to excessive poaching and environmental degradation, Przewalski's horses were reintroduced to the country from Britain, Germany, and the United States in the mid-1980s. With the addition of two foals born to the released horses, the wild population of Przewalski's horses in Ningxia's Helan Mountain Nature Reserve has reached 20, representing a significant increase in their numbers.