Today I wanted to introduce you to the Przewalski Horse in Mongolia

This stocky, 1.2 m-tall (4 ft.) animal is the only surviving subspecies of horse that has never been domesticated. The horses became known to science in 1879 when a Polish naturalist named Przewalski (pronounced zeh-val-skee) "discovered" a wild herd.

They once inhabited the vast grasslands of central Asia, but beginning in the early 1900s, hunting pressure, competition for grazing land and water, and interbreeding with domestic Mongol ponies contributed to their increasing scarcity.

Despite strict legal protection in Mongolia since 1926, the species became extinct in the wild in the 1960s. Then, in 1992, a successful breeding program that relied on captive animals from zoos around the world was started, and the species has been reintroduced into several Mongolian national parks.

In 2005, the wild populations were estimated at about 300 animals. On my recent trip to Mongolia we talked to a biologist at Hustai National Park and learned the horses are now in the Gobi and in Hustai in self sustaining herds.

Its always amazing to see these horses on my trips to Mongolia. Its always a highlight for photographers and horse enthusiasts alike…

If you want to come and photograph these beautiful animals with me in a more private setting than usual tours, please check out all my Mongolia tours here.

http://www.kevinpepperphotography.com/workshops

If youre interested in my Mongolian trip designed specifically for all the horses in Mongolia that I will be announcing with Debra Garside in November of 2016 on my website. We are planning it for September of 2017. Email me at kevinapepper@outlook.com