THE Welsh Mountain Zoo in Colwyn Bay has welcomed a Przewalski's horse foal as part of its far-reaching breeding and conservation programme.
Khan, a male, was born on the April 21 to mum Wendy, who joined the zoo at the end of last year from Marwell.
Khan is the first Przewalski’s foal born at the zoo since 1995.
The Przewalski's Wild Horse was completely extinct in the wild by 1966, but have since been successfully reintroduced into their natural habitats among the reserves and national parks of Mongolia following a successful captive breeding programme.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has since reclassified its conservation status from “extinct in the wild” to “endangered”.
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Claire Taylor, head keeper at the Welsh Mountain Zoo, said: “Khan is adorable and was extremely quick and confident to find his feet, and Wendy is proving to be an exceptional first-time mother.
“The return of the Przewalski's Wild Horse to its natural environment is a huge success story for conservation.
“But the reintroduced populations remain endangered and so it’s important that we continue to breed and maintain the conservation effort to support the increasing wild population.”
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