By Helen Briggs BBC News
Wild asses are returning to the grasslands of
Kazakhstan where they once roamed in large numbers.
The equine animals, known as kulans, are
native to the area but have been pushed to the brink of extinction by illegal
hunting and loss of habitat.
Conservationists have started reintroducing
the horses to their natural landscape.
This month, more kulan were released in the
Altyn Dala nature reserve to establish a fourth population.
The project is being organised by the
Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan (ACBK).
Sergey Sklyarenko said reintroduction started
in a reserve on an island in the Aral Sea with fewer than 20 animals.
"We have got to now about 4,000 kulans
in three wild populations," he said.
"The creation of a fourth population
will allow to provide new areas for the species and increase its
sustainability."
The wild asses were captured in the Altyn
Emel National Park in the autumn.
The population there has reached about 3,000
individuals, but there is little potential for future growth.
The kulans were moved to a centre at Alytn
Dala in Central Kazakhstan, where they were kept in captivity over the winter
to allow them to bond and adjust to local conditions.
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