Archive for June 10, 2012

Mongolia Has the Largest Population of Takhi Wild Horses in the World

Posted: June 10, 2012 by R.T. Fitch in Horse News, Wild Horses/Mustangs
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By E.DARI of the UB Post

The Takhi or Przewalski’s horses were first reintroduced in 1992

The leader of the Foundation for the Preservation and Protection of the Przewalski’s Horse, during the 20th anniversary event of reintroduction of wild horses in Khustai Mountains, made the following statement:

“Forty years ago, I saw the Takhi for the first time when I visited a zoo with my husband on my honeymoon. At the time, the animal was an endangered species, and only about 270 Takhi remained worldwide. This sad news about the extinction of the Takhi in Mongolia made me devastated. Now the number of Takhi has reached 270 in Mongolia alone. I am really proud of myself and our colleagues for the work we have done to breed this animal.”

The Takhi or Przewalski’s horses were first reintroduced in 1992, on World Environment Day, June 5. Although all Takhi horses were completely eradicated in Mongolia in the 1960s, the Przewalski’s horses, which were located in foreign zoos, were returned to Mongolia in 1992 with the efforts of a citizen of the Netherlands, Ian Bauman and his spouse Inge Boumen.

Today, around 270 Przewalski’s horses are breeding in the Khustai Mountains of Tuv Province. It has the largest population of Przewalski’s horses in the world.

The 20th anniversary ceremony of the fifth acclimatization project, implemented with the support of the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, was held on June 5 to 7 in Mongolia. Participants of the opening ceremony included: from the Mongolian side, the State Secretary of the Ministry for Nature, Environment and Tourism, N.Batsuuri. From the Netherlands: the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary from the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Mongolia, Rudolf Bekink; officials of the Holland Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and the Foundation for the Preservation and Protection of the Przewalski’s Horse; and other guests and delegations. The ceremony of the Wild Horse Research Center of the Khustai National Park was held on yesterday on June 7.

At the 20th anniversary of acclimatizing wild horses in the Khustai National Park, the leader of the Foundation for the Preservation and Protection of the Przewalski’s Horse, Inge Bouman, who has supported the activities of Khustai Park for many years, was awarded with the “Polar Star” order. The Project Coordinator for many years at the Khustai National Park Complex, Peter Wit was also awarded with the “Friendship” medal. Every year, the scientists conduct many research works under the scholarship named after Ian Bouman, spouse of Ms. Bouman.

China Sends Four Endangered Przewalski’s Horses to Mongolia

Posted: June 10, 2012 by R.T. Fitch in Horse News, Wild Horses/Mustangs
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Wild Przewalski’s horses went extinct in the mid-20th century

URUMQI, May 22 (Xinhua) — Four endangered Przewalski’s horses were sent to Mongolia from west China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region on May 21st, marking the first time for China to send the horses to another country since reintroducing the species 17 years ago, according to Cao Jie, director of the Xinjiang Wild Horse Propagation Center.

China and Mongolia are the only two countries that have successively released Przewalski’s horses into the wild.

Zoologists from both countries said the exchange is just the first of many that will help to optimize the species, maintain genetic diversity and further raise reproduction and survival rates.

Przewalski’s horses historically live on grasslands that are now part of China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and Mongolia. The species faced extinction after rampant hunting that began in the early 19th century.

Wild Przewalski’s horses went extinct in the mid-20th century. Currently, there are fewer than 1,500 domestically-bred Prezewalski’s horses in the world.

China started a breeding program for the species in 1985, relying on Przewalski’s horses brought back to the WHPC from Britain, Germany and the United States to breed the species.

The center started to release its horses into a semi-wild environment in 2001. Fifty-seven of the 74 horses bred by the center survived, amounting to a survival rate of more than 70 percent. The center now has 267 Przewalski’s horses.

The horses sent to Mongolia underwent a 30-day quarantine to prepare them for their arrival at the Great Gobi B National Park, where they will join 60 other horses.

“The horses are between three and five years old, the best age for breeding. They are distantly related to the horses at Great Gobi B National Park,” Cao said.

“We are excited to receive horses from China,” said Dr. Enkhsaikhan Namtar, office manager of the International Takhi Group, an organization dedicated to saving wild Mongolian horses.

He said the horses will first be kept in captivity and gradually released into the wild after becoming acclimated to their new environment.

Both China and Mongolia plan to exchange horses with more countries in the near future, including Germany, Britain and the United States, according to experts in the field.

Click (HERE) to visit People’s Daily and Comment, please tell them that SFTHH sent You!

Habitat for Horses Kicks-off New Website

Posted: June 10, 2012 by R.T. Fitch in Horse News, Horse Rescue
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New Website! No More Blogs!

The new Habitat for Horses.org website is now online and the old site is but a memory. This is a collective scream of success for all of us. The old website was a collection of outdated information because we seldom had anyone available to keep it updated. The new website is updated from the office, which will make a BIG difference.

The articles (I dislike the term “blog”)  will be on the new website, not through habitatforhorses.Wordpress.com. In other words, if you are a subscriber, you’ll need to subscribe again to receive notifications of updates. All the old articles will be there, but the website will have a totally new look. Comments will be on and moderated.

Now online – Habitat for Horses.org

Check it out. No need to report glitches, broken links, missing horses… all that will take a little time and our web mistress is working on it even as you read this.

Thank all of you for your support for the horses. Together we have and will continue to make a difference!

Jerry Finch

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Congressman Criticizes BLM Nevada Wild Horse Helicopter Stampede

Posted: June 10, 2012 by R.T. Fitch in Horse Health, Horse News, Wild Burros, Wild Horses/Mustangs
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By MARTIN GRIFFITH

An Arizona congressman is lashing out against federal land managers’ emergency roundup of wild horses in northern Nevada, saying it poses a risk to the animals because it’s taking place during the height of foaling season.

“We know that it is our policy to only publish “Good News” on Sundays so although this piece brings forward the battle that we face on a daily basis it is also a perfect opportunity to encourage both the good Congressman and Martin Griffith to continue to fight and aide us in our fight to save our national icons.” ~ R.T.

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RENO, Nev. — An Arizona congressman is lashing out against federal land managers’ emergency roundup of wild horses in northern Nevada, saying it poses a risk to the animals because it’s taking place during the height of foaling season.

Rep. Raul Grijalva said the operation in the Jackson Mountains northwest of Winnemucca involves the use of a helicopter to drive horses for miles to corrals in hot weather, and the Bureau of Land Management should have considered “less dangerous alternatives” to remove the animals from the range.

Grijalva, the ranking member of the House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands, maintains the agency is conducting the roundup “under cover of an emergency,” but the situation facing horses around the Jackson Mountains does not meet the BLM’s own criteria for an emergency.

“June is the height of foaling season, meaning that BLM will be stampeding tiny foals, heavily pregnant mares and other horses that may already be compromised by lack of adequate water and forage,” Grijalva, D-Ariz., wrote in a letter sent Thursday to BLM Acting Director Mike Pool.

“Please be sure that I am watching this foaling season closely and hope to see BLM make a good faith effort to protect wild horse population health, as your own policies mandate.”

BLM spokeswoman JoLynn Worley said her agency is working closely with the contract helicopter pilot to ensure the gather is conducted in the most humane manner possible. Among other steps, the BLM has instructed the pilot to drive horses to corrals no faster than the slowest member of the herd.

“Certainly, there’s always a risk of driving a pregnant horse. We’ve had some miscarriages in the past,” Worley told The Associated Press. “Certainly, having young foals run and follow a mare for long distances can be hard on their hooves. These are things we’re aware of, and we’re trying to mitigate those issues as best we can.”

She said while BLM policy is to not round up horses during foaling season, a lack of forage because of the drought justifies their removal form the range a month early. Foaling season lasts from March 1 to June 30.

The agency plans to remove 630 of an estimated 930 horses in the Jackson Mountains Herd Management Area. Twenty-seven mustangs, including 15 mares and two foals, were removed during the first day of the operation Friday.

Eleven national horse advocacy organizations, including the Cloud Foundation and American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign, signed a letter asking the BLM to consider a “humane alternative” to the helicopter roundup.

Like Grijalva, they prefer “bait trapping,” which involves setting up panels and using food and water to lure mustangs into a trap.

“The BLM is using the drought as an excuse to clear out wild horses while risking their death,” said Anne Novak of Protect Mustangs. “They are leaving livestock on the same allegedly drought-afflicted land to graze, so BLM’s actions don’t make any sense.”

Worley said ranchers have voluntarily removed livestock from the hardest-hit area, and bait trapping has not been proven to be an effective method to gather large numbers of horses.

The agency is trying to avoid a repeat of 2007, when it lost 180 of about 900 mustangs it removed from the same area during similar drought conditions, Worley said.

“We waited too late (to begin the roundup) and are not going to take that chance again,” she said.

Nevada is home to about half of the estimated 37,000 wild horses on public lands in 10 western states.

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