UDC 599.735.53:591.5.

Lushchekina A.A., Karimova T.Yu., Neronov V.M. A HORSE FROM THE RUSSIAN RED BOOK // Arid Ecosystems. 2023. Vol. 29. № 4 (97). P. 93-102. | PDF

The Przewalski’s horse (Equus przewalskii Poljakov, 1881) is one of 13 species included in the List of rare and endangered wildlife species that require priority measures for restoration and reintroduction. The species is listed on the Red List of the World Conservation Union (IUCN) and Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). It is the last surviving species from a group of the once numerous and diverse wild horses of Eurasia. The history of the discovery of  the Przewalski’s horse, its description, systematics, other features of biology, issues of restoration and reintroduction, being of great interest to world science, have deserved and deserve special attention of researchers of both the former Soviet Union and pre-revolutionary and modern Russia, who stood at the origins of the conservation of this species. The experience accumulated by the specialists of our country in a number of international projects on reintroduction of  the Przhevalski’s horse and recreating its natural populations served as the basis for preparing programs on creating breeding centers and forming its semi-free populations, which are implemented, first of all, on the territory of «Orenburgsky» State Nature Reserve. A long-term strategy with envisaged and transparent mechanisms of coordination and cooperation of all organizations involved in its realization, providing for science-based approaches and applying modern research methods in its implementation, will contribute to successful realization of «The Przhevalski’s horse Breeding Program in the Russian Federation» approved by the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources on April 8, 2022.

Keywords: the Przhevalski’s horse, Red Book, historical range, reintroduction.

Funding. The work was carried out on the topic of research at the Institute of Ecology and Evolution named after A.N. Severtsov of the Russian Academy of Sciences, state task No. FFER-2024-0022 «Fundamental principles of wildlife protection and rational nature management».

DOI: 10.24412/1993-3916-2023-4-93-102

EDN: JHWJJG