Alongside other free-roaming herbivores, wild horses can play an essential ecological role in European landscapes and deliver diverse benefits to people. A new and updated guide from Rewilding Europe will help to scale up European horse rewilding by providing the latest scientific and practical information.
A herd of 10 Przewalski’s horses – the last truly wild horse – has been released in the Iberian Highlands rewilding landscape in Spain. Having arrived in May, the animals will soon roam free across an extensive area, where they will help to reduce the risk of wildfire, enhance biodiversity, boost nature-based tourism and environmental education, and improve the conservation status of this endangered subspecies.
The release of 10 Sorraia horses in the Greater Côa Valley in northern Portugal will increase natural grazing, reduce wildfire risk and boost nature-based tourism.
The switch will strengthen branding and better reflect ongoing rewilding efforts.
Representing the first ever translocation of Konik horses into the Danube Delta, the shipment of 23 animals travelled by road from Latvia to the Ukrainian village of Orlovka. By helping to create and maintain mosaic landscapes, their grazing will help to boost biodiversity in the Danube Delta rewilding area.
The three-year, pan-European project will evaluate the benefits of various land management models involving domesticated and wild/semi-wild herbivores. It will hopefully lead to more supportive EU policy and legislation.
One of the earliest showcases for rewilding, this pioneering site in the Netherlands has delivered huge ecological, economic and social benefits.
Monitoring of raptor species in the Faia Brava Nature Reserve and Côa Valley Special Protection Area (SPA) shows griffon vultures have made a dramatic return to the Western Iberia rewilding area since the 1990s. This bodes well for ongoing rewilding efforts here.
Rewilding Europe has a new solution for biodiversity management and revives ancient animals in the process.
Brilliant 15-minute film showcases the efforts of the Rewilding Rhodopes team and their work with Konik horses.