Przewalski's horse foal born in Australian zoo

The filly, who was born on May 12, is the offspring of father Ronald and mother Kyakhta. She is the first foal for Kyakhta and both are doing well. "Kyakhta is a great first-time mum, she is very nurturing and doesn't like to let her foal out of sight," said keeper Jackie Stuart.

"The foal is very active and loves to go for a gallop around the exhibit in the morning, often kicking out and frolicking around after being let out of the night yard."

"This new arrival is an important addition to the breeding programme as in the future, when she is mature, she will be paired with an unrelated stallion at the zoo and continue to contribute to the genetic diversity amongst the captive population," she said.

Taronga Western Plains Zoo is home to the second largest herd of Przewalski's Horses in the Australasian region. The animals are divided into a number of smaller herds which are kept both on and off display.

The Przewalski's Horse, or Takhi as they are known in Mongolia, became extinct in the wild in 1968, and it is because of breeding programmes at the likes of the Taronga Western Plains Zoo that has allowed the re-introduction of some animals back into the wild.

In June 1995, the zoo sent five mares along with others from Australia and Europe, to Mongolia, where they were reintroduced into the wild.

The Przewalski's Horse is considered to be the only surviving species of wild horse, and although they are physically resilient, it is believed that their numbers decreased dramatically due to competition for food and water, and hunting pressures.