First Tarpan Foal for 2013

With the arrival of spring to the Eastern Rhodopes a good news came - the first 2013 Tarpan foal was born in the herd of wild horses living since  2011 near to the abandoned village of Sbor, Krumovgrad Municipality.

The new foal feels welland it can be seen rushing on the green slopes of the village of Sbor, as NTG wilderness coordinator Hristo Hristov reports. It is considered to give the horse the name Katya, referring to the first letter of his mother Kawa. The tradition demands that the new borns get a name that starts with the first letter of their mother's name.

More Tarpan foals are expected to be born in the coming weeks.

In September 2011, a herd of Tarpans was brought from the Netherlands and settled in the Eastern Rhodopes. Now, they are fully adapted to the local nature. In 2012, four foals were born. The first two foals were named at an official ceremony in April during the first ever Tarpan Days - 2012 organized by New Thracian Gold. One foal died last winter when wolves attacked the Tarpan herd. This new offspring balances last winter’s loss.

The role of the Tarpans in Eastern Rhodopean nature is the same as in ancient times: to graze the wild vegetation, to mould the wilderness and to support a natural ecosystem. The reintroduction of Tarpans in Bulgaria, a rebreed of wild horses that have lived hundreds of years ago in Europe is one of the most successful activities of New Thracian Gold project.

See here photos of the Tarpan herd and the newborn and here – video

Read here about the work of NTG on the reintroduction of Tarpans in the Eastern Rhodopes

Print this page | Send to friend