Lunchtime Seminar – 22 May – Natasha Fijn

The Re-Wilding of the Takhi

Natasha Fijn (Mongolian Institute, The Australian National University)

The re-wilding of populations that have formerly disappeared from landscapes has been a prominent conservation strategy in Europe. The reintroduction of the takhi (Equus przewalskii) to Mongolia from Europe is viewed as an early success story. There are three separate reserves where takhi have been reintroduced: Hustai Nuruu National Park, Gobi B Protected Area and Khomyn Tal National Park. Last sightings of the takhi were documented by scientists on the Dzungarian desert steppe in the 1960s. From Mongolian archives and anecdotal accounts by local herding families, we can establish the range of the last few remaining takhi and the causes of their initial extinction in the wild. Since their gradual re-introduction, there has been an increase in overall population numbers, but what has been the impact on the social behaviour and culture of the takhi? In terms of “re-wilding”, do takhi have agency and are they truly “wild”? Many of the rangers come from a herding background, having grown up with horses from a young age. What are the perceptions and attitudes of rangers and local herders towards the takhi, whose families have lived in the area for generations? This presentation explores the dynamics of takhi with Mongolian horse herds, managed by herding families on the boundaries of the reserves. Through field observations at all three locations where takhi are the flagship species, this seminar explores the conservation practices and ethics towards the takhi in the context of Mongolia.