Zookeeper Dannielle with Naploeon
The couple (Kathleen Fisher Photography)
The BC Wildlife Park is home to two Przewalski’s horses, Takhi and Napoleon
And with Tahki
Takhi (mare) was born at Quebec’s Granby Zoo on May 7, 2007, and Napoleon (stallion) was born at Ontario’s Toronto Zoo on July 4, 2008. Napoleon was eventually transferred to the Granby Zoo, where the pair has been coupled since 2010. After a 2-day journey across the country from Quebec, they arrived at the BC Wildlife Park in Kamloops on November 5, 2020, and are a part of the Species Survival Plan (SSP) that intensively manages the care, movement, and breeding of Przewalski’s horses in captivity around the world.
T
he Przewalski’s horse is native to Central Asia, and is the only truly wild horse in the world. Modern day “wild” horses such as mustangs that roam freely in herds in the United States, are really feral ancestors of once domesticated horses. Przewalski’s horses are genetically distinct from the modern domestic horse with 33 chromosome pairs, compared to 32 for domestic horses. It is believed their ancestral lineages split some 38,000 to 160,000 years ago. In the 1960’s only a handful of Przewalski’s horses were found in the wild. By 1969 one single stallion was observed in its native habitat. Further expeditions after this failed to locate any horses and the Przewalski’s horse was designated “extinct in the wild.” The main cause for their decline was attributed to habitat loss, competition from livestock, hunting, and harsh winters. After World War II only 12 breeding horses were left in the world’s zoos. One additional wild caught mare was added to this population in 1957. All Przewalski’s horses found today are decedents of these 13 animals. To ensure the survival and genetic diversity of the species, these horses continue to be bred in human care around the world. Today, several populations have now been released 10 • FEBRUARY 2022
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into Mongolia and the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. In 2019 the estimated population in Chernobyl was over 100 individuals. Although population stability is a long way off, this species was brought back from the brink of extinction because of worldwide conservation efforts made by zoological facilities like the BC Wildlife Park. Although unsuccessful thus far, we remain optimistic that our pair will eventually defy the odds and successfully breed and produce a foal. Carefully managed breeding in human care aids in maintaining a level of genetic diversity, but the challenge remains that due to their low numbers the gene pool is small and birth rates are inevitably low. Husbandry is an integral component of their care at the BCWP, which includes positive reinforcement training through protective contact. As with all Park animals, Takhi and Napoleon always have the choice to participate in training sessions, and are always positively rewarded should they chose to join in. Since their arrival, Zookeeper Dannielle has dedicated many months of training with this pair: focusing on target training, positioning for voluntary injections, x-rays, and hoof presentation and filing. These
