Przewalski's horse became known to the West after its late-19th century discovery in western [[Mongolia]] by the Russian explorer N.M. Przhevalsky. A rare animal even then, Preswalski's horse was declared extinct in the wild by the 1970's either through cross-breeding with feral domestic horses or through shooting to prevent grazing on farmland. European and American zoos kept the species alive, however, and by the late 20th century many of them were sent to Mongolia where they were released into the wild. | Przewalski's horse became known to the West after its late-19th century discovery in western [[Mongolia]] by the Russian explorer N.M. Przhevalsky. A rare animal even then, Preswalski's horse was declared extinct in the wild by the 1970's either through cross-breeding with feral domestic horses or through shooting to prevent grazing on farmland. European and American zoos kept the species alive, however, and by the late 20th century many of them were sent to Mongolia where they were released into the wild. |