One of the world’s largest conservation projects aimed at protecting Kazakhstan’s Golden Steppe and its endangered wildlife has earned Prince William’s Earthshot Prize 2024.
Kazakhstan’s Altyn Dala Conservation Initiative was handed the award in a star-studded ceremony in Cape Town, South Africa on 6th November.
The prize followed after the project achieved unprecedented success in protecting the rare saiga antelope and endangered Przewalski’s horses, by resettling them in their ancestral homeland.
At the beginning of June, Germany’s Berlin Zoo selected four females – Umbra, Sary, Wasp and Tessa – from a herd in captivity to join three other Przewalski’s horses from the Czech Republic’s Prague Zoo.
They were then transferred to the Golden Steppe, also called Altyn Dala, as part of a relocation project aimed at building up a herd of 40 animals.
Przewalski’s horses are considered the missing genetic link between ancient breeds first domesticated by man and modern-day breeds.
Covering over 75 million hectares, the protected area provides a safe habitat for threatened species such as the saiga antelope, the steppe eagle and the Przewalski’s horses.
Zoo Berlin director Christian Kern said in a statement obtained by Newsflash: “Since their arrival, the wild horses have gained a lot of weight – an important prerequisite for mastering the upcoming winter.
“Our colleagues in Kazakhstan will continue to monitor the herd carefully because the next few months are crucial for the survival of the animals in the steppe.”
To better understand the herd’s behaviour, some of the animals were equipped with a GPS transmitter.
Executive Director of the ACBK Vera Voronova said: “Winning the Earthshot Prize is an incredible honour and a testament to the power of partnership in conservation.
“The support of the prize will allow us to expand our initiatives and attract new resources.”
Kern continued: “This award is an important signal for global nature conservation. We are proud that our wild horses are contributing to the revival of the Altyn Dala.”
Managing director of the Frankfurt Zoological Society, Dr Christof Schenck said: “It is a great honour to win the Earthshot Prize 2024!
“This award recognises our achievements to date and will help us to continue to establish a viable population of Przewalski’s horses and other species in Central Asia.”
The Altyn Dala steppe borders with Uzbekistan in the south to Russia in the north.
The combination of grasslands, semi-deserts, and wetlands is home to a wide variety of wildlife, including steppe eagles and wolves.
It provides home to more than 10 million birds who migrate through the wetlands – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – each year.
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Story By: Georgina Jedikovska, Sub-Editor: Georgina Jedikovska, Agency: Newsflash
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