Kazakhstan names its first Przewalski’s horse foals
The first Przewalski’s horse foals born in Kazakhstan have been named Botay and Tumar, Qazinform News Agency reports, citing the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources.
The foals were born this summer at the Alibi Wild Ungulate Reintroduction Center in the Altyn Dala State Nature Reserve.
Now more than a month old, the foals are growing more active, exploring their surroundings and learning to keep up with their family groups.
Botay was born to Tessa, while Tumar was born to Umbra. Both mares arrived in Kazakhstan from Tierpark Berlin in 2024 and have since become mothers for the first time.
The names were chosen for their symbolic meaning. Botay refers to the ancient Botay archaeological culture, closely associated with the history of the relationship between humans and horses, while Tumar is the name of a traditional Kazakh protective amulet.
The birth of Botay and Tumar marks a new stage in Kazakhstan’s wild horse reintroduction project. The arrival of the first Przewalski’s horses marked the species’ return to its historical range, while the birth of the two foals signals the beginning of a new generation in the Kazakh steppe.
Botay and Tumar continue to grow under the care of specialists, gradually adapting to life in the steppe and becoming part of Kazakhstan’s emerging Przewalski’s horse population.
Earlier, a camera trap in Zhongar-Alatau State National Nature Park captured one of Kazakhstan’s rarest predators, the Turkistan lynx.
