Image Credit: CFJC Today / Kent Simmonds

By Jill Sperling

Przewalski Horses

BC Wildlife Park’s newest residents are endangered wild horse breed

Nov 10, 2020 | 4:39 PM

KAMLOOPS — The BC Wildlife Park has welcomed a pair of new arrivals.

Takhi and Napolean arrived in Kamloops last Thursday (Nov. 5). The pair of Przewalski horses were previously kept at Granby Zoo in Quebec.

“We have them here because we wanted to become part of the Species Survival Plan for this species again,” explained Tracy Reynolds, the BC Wildlife Park’s animal care manager.

“We had had them here in the past and we thought they would do well with our climate as well. That’s something to consider when we bring animals into the Wildlife Park here, if they’re suited to our climate. This species is — and quite frankly I think they’re pretty amazing and like them.”

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Przewalski horses are native to central Asia. They are an endangered species, with only a few herds remaining in the wild in Mongolia.

“They had been completely extirpated (eliminated from the wild). In the 1960s there were none found anywhere and the only ones found anywhere, and the only ones found in the world were in fact in zoos.”

Takhi and Napolean started a 30-day quarantine upon arrival in Kamloops.

“Any time we get an animal here into the park we make sure that we segregate them from our own collection so nobody can come too close, just to protect our own collection from anything that they might bring in,” Reynolds said. “These animals actually are really healthy, they’re from a really good place so we’re not too worried, but it’s just our protocol to do that regardless.”

Once they finish their quarantine, the horses will have a much larger space to explore. For now, park visitors will be able to see Takhi and Napolean from a distance near the bison enclosure.

“They definitely have settled in very well,” Reynolds said. “When they came off the truck they were nice and calm. These two individuals are lovely horses from what we’re experiencing so far they are just very nice animals. We’re pretty excited to have them for sure.”