A Czech Army CASA aircraft, with four mares and escort on board, took off from Prague-Kbely airport on Tuesday, June 19, 2018 at 13:45. After two planned stops in Kazan and Novosibirsk, it landed on unpaved ground at the airport in Bulgan Sum yesterday around 11 am local time. The mares were subsequently taken in transport cases in trucks to Takhin Tal area and let out in an acclimatization yard.

“Luckily we can have a rest now, but it was not easy this time,” commented Miroslav Bobek, Prague Zoo director. “It had been raining intensively for a long time at the airport in Bulgan Sum the day before the planned arrival of the aircraft; hence there was a back-up plan to land, if necessary, in Khovd.”

The mares transported to Mongolia this year came from three different European breeding organizations.“Hanna and Helmi were born in Helsinki Zoo, Finland but their father, stallion Elán, was born in Prague. Yanja was born in Wildnispark Zürich Langenberg, Switzerland and Spes comes from Wisentgehege Springe, Germany”– added Jaroslav Šimek, zoo deputy.

The “Return of the Wild Horses” project includes a whole range of other related activities, including the building of guard posts, haystacks, a well with drinking water, hospital reconstruction in village Bij and buying field equipment for Gobi B guards.

In addition, this year in April, Prague Zoo signed a Memorandum on Protection of Endangered species with the Ministry of the Environment of Mongolia; the memorandum will now be expanded to protect wild camels and mongolian saiga antelopes.

Along with Prague Zoo and the Army of the Czech Republic the following organizations took part in financing and organizing the transport this year: ITG (International Takhi Group), Taipei Zoo (Taiwan), Tierpark Berlin (Germany) and the Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic.