Wild Horses Return From Extinction to Thriving Herds

China has restored Przewalski’s horses from extinction in the wild to a population of over 900, establishing self-sustaining herds and reviving a key symbol of biodiversity recovery.

“The successful breeding and reintroduction highlight the country’s resolve to protect biodiversity and promote harmony between humans and nature,” said Zhao Xumao, professor of ecology at Lanzhou University.

Declared extinct in the wild in the 1970s, the species has rebounded through a programme launched in 1985, with China now hosting about one-third of the global population. More than 300 horses have been bred and released, helping form 28 herds in protected reserves. The species, with an evolutionary history of 60 million years, now thrives in regions such as Dunhuang West Lake, demonstrating how sustained conservation efforts can restore endangered wildlife at scale.