Prague Zoo Welcomes a Przewalski’s Horse Baby Boom: Five Adorable Foals Arrive This Year

The large paddock at Dívčí hrady, located above the Smíchov district in Prague, currently holds a total of eight horses: one stallion, four mares, and three foals whose genders are not yet known. One of the foals was born to the mare Vereda on Saturday, April 26, and another on Monday, April 28, with the mother being the mare Gruhne. The third foal was born on April 30 and is the offspring of a mare named Khamina. Visitors can observe them from local hilltops, for instance.

The foals were also born at the breeding and acclimatization station managed by the Prague Zoo in Dolní Dobřejov. In the region known as Czech Siberia in southern Bohemia, there is the largest breeding herd managed by Prague Zoo, which currently consists of around thirty horses. These horses are also being prepared for challenging relocations to their natural habitats in Mongolia or Kazakhstan. Interestingly, the mare Yara received a foal as a special gift for her tenth birthday.

The oldest foal born this year appeared in the Prague Zoo located in Troja. On February 27, the mare Victoria II gave birth to a female named Dagina in the Gobi exhibit that opened last year. She was born in March and was personally named by Mongolian President Uchnágin Chürelsüch. The name Dagina translates to “Heavenly Fairy” in Mongolian. At that time, the President mentioned that if Dagina were taken to the Valley of the Monasteries, her name could be changed to “Eastern Fairy”.

Prague Zoo Returns Przewalski’s Horse to the Wild

The Prague Troja Zoo plays an essential role in the conservation efforts for the Przewalski’s horse. It oversees the International Stud Book and the European Breeding Program while actively working on reintroducing this horse species back into the wild. Between 2011 and 2019, in collaboration with the Army of the Czech Republic, it facilitated nine transports of these horses to Western Mongolia. Additionally, a project to return them to eastern Mongolia is in the planning stages; last year, a reintroduction effort was launched in central Kazakhstan, where Przewalski’s horses disappeared hundreds of years ago. The initial seven horses were moved there at the beginning of June last year.

The next transport to Kazakhstan is set for the first week of June. This year, eight horses—two stallions and six mares—are planned to fly to the Altyn Dala region, also known as the ‘Golden Steppe,’ via CASA military aircraft. One group will depart from Prague with horses from Dolní Dobřejov, while another will come from Debrecen, Hungary, bringing horses from Hortobágy National Park, which collaborates with Zoo Prague on this initiative.

There are also plans to reintroduce Przewalski’s horses to Eastern Mongolia, specifically in the Valley of Monasteries. These transports will commence once there are enough horses settled in the Golden Steppe in central Kazakhstan.

Prague Zoo Celebrates Five New Przewalski’s Horse Foals

1. This Year’s Births

• Prague Zoo is proud to announce the birth of five Przewalski’s horse foals in 2025.

• These endangered foals mark another milestone in the zoo’s long-standing breeding efforts.

2. Where to See the Foals

• Dívčí hrad (Girl’s Castle) above Prague’s Smíchov district

• On-site at Zoo Prague, within the Przewalski’s horse paddocks

3. Conservation and Breeding Programs

• International Studbook Management: Prague Zoo maintains the global studbook for Przewalski’s horses, tracking lineage and genetic diversity.

• European Breeding Program: Coordinates with other European zoos to optimize pairings and ensure healthy, sustainable populations.

• Reintroduction Efforts: Collaborates with conservation partners to return horses to Mongolia and Kazakhstan.

4. Gobi Exhibition

• Asian Semi-Deserts & Steppes Gallery: Showcases fauna from the Gobi region alongside the horses.

• Guided Tours & Authentic Yurt: Offers immersive experiences into Mongolian nomadic culture.

• Flaming Cliffs Display: Features dinosaur fossils discovered in the same region where Przewalski’s horses roam.

5. Returning Horses to the Wild

• Transports from Prague Zoo aim to reestablish Przewalski’s horses in their original habitats, from which they’ve been absent for decades.

• These efforts bolster wild populations in Mongolia’s steppes and Kazakhstan’s deserts.

6. About “Dagina”

• One of the newly born mares has been named Dagina, which means “Heavenly Fairy” in Mongolian—a tribute to her wild heritage.