Two endangered Przewalski's foals born at wildlife park

Two endangered Przewalski’s horse foals have been born at the Highland Wildlife Park near Kingussie.

The foals were born in April to Tuya and Ieda, with both sharing the same dad, Chaqatai.

Staff at the wildlife conservation charity are delighted to welcome the first births this year at the drive-through reserve and expect more species, including their European bison and red deer, to give birth in the coming month.

The Przewalski’s horse has been brought back from extinction in the wild following the success of rewilding and reintroduction projects, including in its native habitats in Mongolia.

Keith Gilchrist, animal collection manager at Highland Wildlife Park, said: “Both of our foals are getting on really well and can be spotted trotting around the reserve with the rest of the herd.

“Their arrival represents a potentially important contribution to the future of this endangered species, who have gone from being extinct in the wild to once again roaming their native habitat.

“This huge feat and is directly attributable to the efforts of the zoo community and the successful reintroduction of this species shows just how important a carefully managed captive population is to restoring and safeguarding the future of animals.”

Highland Wildlife Park reopened to locals on March 26 with a wide range of safety measures in place and will be able to welcome back visitors from across the UK from April 26.