Przewalski's horses graze on Daqing Mountain. [Photo/Inner Mongolia news network]

Nearly five years after 12 Przewalski's horses were reintroduced to the Daqing Mountain in Hohhot, North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, the herd has grown to 21, marking steady progress in the species' rewilding efforts.

The Przewalski's horse, the world's only surviving truly wild horse species, is a national first-class protected wild animal in China. Once extinct in the wild, the species has been gradually restored through breeding, reintroduction, and conservation efforts.

In September and October 2021, 12 Przewalski's horses from the Xinjiang Wild Horse Breeding and Research Center were released into the Daqing Mountain National Nature Reserve as Inner Mongolia's first trial to expand and enlarge the species' population through reintroduction.

Among those helping monitor the horses is 63-year-old former forest ranger Wang Junheng, who has regularly traveled along rugged mountain roads to observe the animals and record their health, behavior, and breeding.

Wang Junheng touches a Przewalski's horse at Daqing Mountain. [Photo/Inner Mongolia news network]

Wang initially knew little about horses and was hesitant to approach the reintroduced animals. He has since become familiar with every individual, recognizing them by their appearance, age, sex, and temperament.

In August 2022, a foal was born in Daqing Mountain, the first Przewalski's horse born there. Although it died four days later from congenital weakness, another foal was born and survived, marking a breakthrough in the population's ability to reproduce in the new habitat.

The horses have since adapted to the mountainous grassland environment, with their behavior and breeding patterns increasingly aligned with local seasonal cycles. Their growing population also reflects improvements in the surrounding ecosystem, where other wildlife, including sika deer, roe deer, badgers, and foxes, can also be found.

Wang Junheng monitors a herd of Przewalski's horses through binoculars at Daqing Mountain. [Photo/Inner Mongolia news network]