They aren’t just hanging out. They were driven to extinction by the early 1900s and repopulated into the wild by zoo breeding programs. It’s a textbook bottleneck genetics scenario and very nearly failed had then not found 1-2 wild horses to increase genetic diversity in the 1960s.
Although their population has been increasing successfully, the biggest reason it is working is because they live in areas of Mongolia that are not heavily populated by humans. For the counter example, watch Montana get rid of its re-introduced wolf population. Humans love animals in so far as they don’t inconvenience us. But our societies will happily get rid of animals that get too close, even though we’ve left wildlife with so few places to go.
12 Comments
NottaLottaOcelot@lemmy.ca · 42 pts · 76d
They aren’t just hanging out. They were driven to extinction by the early 1900s and repopulated into the wild by zoo breeding programs. It’s a textbook bottleneck genetics scenario and very nearly failed had then not found 1-2 wild horses to increase genetic diversity in the 1960s.
Although their population has been increasing successfully, the biggest reason it is working is because they live in areas of Mongolia that are not heavily populated by humans. For the counter example, watch Montana get rid of its re-introduced wolf population. Humans love animals in so far as they don’t inconvenience us. But our societies will happily get rid of animals that get too close, even though we’ve left wildlife with so few places to go.
ChaoticNeutralCzech@feddit.org · 17 pts · 76d
Prague Zoo played a key role in this and now manages the species' breeding register, consider visiting if you're in the city
village604@adultswim.fan · 1 pts · 76d
The panda is another good example.
Skullgrid@lemmy.world · 32 pts · 76d
why do they look like donkeys?
snoons@lemmy.ca · 37 pts · 76d
Donkeys are peak efficiency.
baguettefish@discuss.tchncs.de · 13 pts · 76d
the best ones are mules. they are faster than donkeys but still have a chest for storage!
a_non_monotonic_function@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 76d
Imma burrow into that ass if you catch my drift.
SeductiveTortoise@piefed.social · 11 pts · 76d
OH YEAH? WHY DO YOU LOOK LIKE A DONKEY? GO AWAY!
😭😭😭
Phantaloons@piefed.zip · 3 pts · 76d
God made it all that way.
/s
EvacuateSoul@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 70d
That other comment said they are Mongoloids
nialv7@lemmy.world · 30 pts · 76d
Wait until they realize that we are also guys from cave paintings, and we are still here just hanging out.
tdawg@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 75d
You get to hang out? I have to paint caves all day