British zoo welcomes birth of previously extinct Przewalski’s horse foal

The Przewalski’s horse foal at Marwell zoo is doing well — (Image credit: Marwell zoo)

A British zoo is celebrating the exciting new arrival of a rare Przewalski’s horse foal.

The breed was extinct in the wild from 1969 to 2008, so foals are a cause for celebration.

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Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.

Joy as British zoo welcomes birth of previously extinct breed foal

The foal was born to dam Tsetseg, at Marwell Zoo in Hampshire, on 15 April and is reported to be doing well.

“Tsetseg is a very good mum and her foal has been seen feeding well,” said Katie Foulkes, hoofstock assistant animal keeper at Marwell.

“She is separating herself and the foal from the group slightly, which is perfectly normal, and shows that she is being very protective.”

Przewalski’s horses are listed as endangered on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s red list of threatened species. The population is increasing as a result of zoo breeding programmes.

The foal, who is yet to be named, will become part of the European Ex-Situ breeding programme, a population management programme involving multiple zoos.

The new foal can be seen alongside last year’s arrival, Basil, in the zoo’s valley field, which visitors can see from the balcony of its Café Graze.

All Przewalski’s horses alive today are descended from 12 captive individuals, after the population in the wild was declared extinct. In the past, they would have been found from the Russian Steppes to Kazakhstan, Mongolia and northern China.

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