SAN DIEGO — An amazing feat of science and conservation might save an endangered wild horse species.
It doesn’t matter how many times Gavin Livingstone drives through the San Diego Zoo Safari Park — every time is amazing to him.
"It's really the most special place on earth," he said.
Livingstone is the curator of mammals for the park and recently visited the most incredible thing he's ever seen: a wild horse named Kurt.
Kurt is a Przewalski’s horse, an endangered species that went extinct in the wild in the 1980s. Since then, Przewalski’s horses have survived almost entirely in zoos around the world.
“Maybe 1,000 or so left in the entire world of this species, which is just terrible to think because, I mean, they’re so incredibly beautiful and amazing," Livingstone said. "And think what we’d be losing on this planet if we lost something like the Przewalski’s wild horse."
Kurt is bringing much-needed hope back to his species; he is the world’s first successfully cloned Przewalski’s horse. He is a clone of a male Przewalski’s stallion whose DNA was cryopreserved 42 years ago in San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s Wildlife Biodiversity Bank. He was born to a surrogate mother, a domestic quarter horse, in 2020.
“It was an incredibly exciting moment for the team here," Livingstone said. "It was kind of a ‘a-ha’ moment almost because it’s not just about Kurt himself and the Przewalski’s horse, but it’s really a proof-of-concept for our conservation science team, and showing that this technology of cloning can be applied not just to Przewalski’s horses but many other species that are in peril and need our help around the world.”
Emily Kinsel is the senior wildlife care specialist taking care of Kurt, along with a young female Przewalski’s horse named Holly. Holly is serving as his mentor and teacher.
“[Kurt] just adores Holly. He follows her everywhere," Kinsel said. "She’s really his best friend out here and we can’t do anything with just one of them. He always waits for Holly.”
Since Kurt was born to a surrogate mother, he had no experience with other Przewalski’s horses. He was paired with Holly, who was raised in a Przewalski’s horse herd, and is helping Kurt learn the language and behavior of wild horses.
“I don’t think people really understand what we mean when we say a wild horse," Kinsel said. "They think of the American Mustang but those are actually feral domesticated horses and the Przewalski’s horse has never been domesticated. No one’s ever put a halter on it, no one’s ever ridden them.”
By reviving genetic diversity that was stored in San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s Biodiversity Bank, conservationists hope to expand the strength of the species’ population.
“I just think they’re such a special species to work with, and I hope that more people can get to know them," Kinsel said.
Livingstone says Kurt and Holly will soon join the larger herd of Przewalski’s horses at the Safari Park, and the plan is for Kurt to be the breeder stallion when he reaches maturity at 3 to 4 years of age.
“It’s changing the lives of species all around the world and it’s really inspiring,” Livingstone said.
Kurt is the culmination of an important partnership between nonprofit Revive & Restore, the animal cloning company ViaGen Pets & Equine and San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance to bring back genetic diversity to the endangered Przewalski’s horse species.
The colt was named “Kurt” in honor of Kurt Benirschke, M.D., who was instrumental in founding the conservation research program at San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, including the Frozen Zoo, a critical component of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s Wildlife Biodiversity Banking efforts.