Tarpan Horse
On the trail dedicated to European animals, the Tarpan horse shares the space with the aurochs.
An ancestor of the domestic horse
Wiped out by hunting and the decline of forests. There were two breeds of Tarpan:
The forest Tarpan once lived in western and central Europe; it was still present in the Vosges Mountains of Alsace in 1593. It survived in Poland, where the last remaining individuals were distributed to peasants in 1806. The last wild Tarpan was killed in Poland in 1814.
The steppe Tarpan was found in Southeast Europe and in the regions around the Caspian Sea. The last one disappeared in 1879.
The forest Tarpan was back-bred from the last Polish individuals. These crossbreeds resulted in the Konik breed.
The Heck Tarpan presented here is a cross between three breeds: the Icelandic pony, the Konik, and Przewalski’s horse. This breed, created in German zoos, is found only in zoos.
IUCN status
The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN)
Description
Equus ferus ferus
Equines
300kg
130 to 145 cm
Central Europe
Extinct
25 to 30 years old
An environmental benefit
Today, Koniks are used in nature reserves to preserve biodiversity (Lake Madine, Lake Der).
Food
It feeds mainly on grass.
