New neigh...bours for zoo giraffes
EDINBURGH ZOO has welcomed three new Przewalski’s horses from Highland Wildlife Park.
The horses, which will be housed in a new enclosure next to the zoo’s giraffes, were an endangered species half a century ago.
The wildlife conservation charity reintroduced the species of horse in the Highlands. Zoo visitors will learn how the breed was saved after becoming extinct in the wild in the 1960s.
Jonathan Appleyard, hoofstock team leader at Edinburgh Zoo, said: “After arriving, our three new boys, Och, Tomor and Kumbish, are settling in to their new home which is just beside our giraffes on the hilltop.
“It is really exciting to introduce our visitors to this amazing species and share the incredible story of Przewalski’s horses being brought back from extinction in the wild, following the success of rewilding and reintroduction projects in their native Mongolia.
“This huge feat is directly attributable to the efforts of the zoo community and shows just how important a carefully managed captive population can be for safeguarding threatened wildlife around the world.”