On July 17, 2012 a Czech Army Force aircraft with four takhis on the board landed at the Bulgan airport in Khovd aimag. Mares Anežka, Spela, Greta and Xara ran into the nature of Gobi B protected area early in the morning, after they had spent more than 38 hours in transportation boxes.

The takhi transport was co-financed within the Czech development project “The improvement of the conservation measures for re-introduction Przewalski horse population in Gobi B strictly protected area“ this year as well as the previous year. The implementer of this project is Prague Zoo, which cooperates with ITG Mongolia and Gobi B.

The history of takhis in the Czech Republic goes back to 1921, when the first horses were brought to a school farm in Netluky. Since 1932 takhis have been in the Prague Zoo. When the World War II ended, the Prague Zoo and Munich were the only gardens with a breeding herd. Thus, the Prague Zoo has become a place with the longest history of breeding. In 1959 the Prague Zoo summoned the first international conference aimed at Przewalski horses preservation and was entrusted with the maintenance of their pedigree book. A number of takhis from Prague Zoo have already found their home in Mongolia – in 1998 two mares and one stallion in Gobi B, in 2000 one mare in Hustain Nuruu, in 2011 three mares and one stallion in Khomin tal, in 2012 four mares in Takhin tal (Gobi B). The significance of the Czech Republic can also be demonstrated by the fact that the majority of Przewalski horses living in the wide open space of Mongolia and China have at least one Prague ancestor.

Article in the Mongol Messenger.

http://www.mzv.cz/ulaanbaatar/cz/media_a_prezentace_zu/medialni_vystupy_zu/x2012/cesky_transport_kone_prevalskeho_do.html