China's conservation efforts have achieved a historic milestone as its population of Przewalski's horses – the world's last truly wild equine species – now exceeds 900, accounting for one-third of the global total. This breakthrough comes four decades after the endangered species was reintroduced to its native habitat in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region's Junggar Basin.
Once teetering on the brink of extinction, these resilient horses have flourished through coordinated breeding programs and habitat restoration initiatives spanning multiple regions. The Xinjiang Wild Horse Breeding and Research Center, Asia's largest facility of its kind, has successfully bred over 800 horses since 1985, with 146 reintroduced to wilderness areas.
Conservationists are now expanding rewilding programs across Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and Gansu Province. These efforts focus on creating interconnected habitats that mirror the species' historical range across Central Asia, while maintaining genetic diversity through advanced breeding techniques.
The species' recovery offers valuable insights for global biodiversity protection, demonstrating how scientific management and cross-regional cooperation can revive endangered populations. As China continues to balance ecological preservation with sustainable development, the Przewalski's horse serves as both a conservation success story and a living symbol of Asia's natural heritage.
