A Very Special Pair

With help from humans — and a horse of a different color — an Asian wild horse foal is up on his feet.

Asian Wild Horse Foal on His Feet – with Help From Foster Mom

Asian wild horses are an endangered species that was once extinct in the wild. Thanks to the dedication of conservationists, Asian wild horses have since been successfully reintroduced to their native range in Central Asia. The male foal is the latest in a long line of more than 50 Asian wild horses born here at the Minnesota Zoo that are helping to ensure the survival of the species.

The male foal was born May 17, 2025 to mom Nady. A few days later, he fell ill and was transferred to the University of Minnesota Veterinary Medical Center for evaluation and treatment. After recovering, he returned to the Zoo – only to find his mom Nady no longer had the instinct to mother and nurse him. This is not an unusual circumstance with wild horses when they are separated from their foals.

Consulting veterinarians at the University knew of a domesticated horse, Alice, whose foal had sadly died due to an injury. Alice’s owners Sylvia and Jeff Passow hoped she could help another baby with her nurturing temperament and milk supply. At Brush Poppin Ranch, the Passows raise two breeds of domesticated horses: Appaloosas and Pony of the Americas. Alice is a Pony of the Americas, a breed developed in Iowa in the 1950s for Western riding.

After hearing about the Asian wild horse foal’s need for a surrogate, the Passows got right on the road from their ranch. It didn’t matter that the foal was a little less domestic than Alice was accustomed to; her mothering instincts kicked right in when she met the wild guy. With gentle nudges and nickers, their bond has quickly grown, and he is nursing and learning from her. Alice will stay with the foal at the Zoo for several months.

Asian wild horses (Equus ferus przewalskii) and the domesticated horse (Equus ferus caballus) are related but very distantly. Though their family trees split more than 40,000 years ago – and the wild horse even has an additional chromosome – the parenting behavior and nutritional quality of the milk are very similar.

Since opening in 1978, the Minnesota Zoo has worked to save the species, including through the Association of Zoo & Aquarium’s Species Survival Plan (SSP), which makes breeding recommendations to support the genetic diversity of the population in zoos. Descendants of horses raised at the Minnesota Zoo have been restored to the Mongolian steppe. And in 2024, the Minnesota Zoo contributed to a genetic study of the species that will inform future conservation efforts.

While he grows bigger and stronger, the foal and Alice will reside in a pasture along the path to the Wells Fargo Family Farm. You can find the Zoo’s full herd of Asian wild horses on the Northern Trail.

Thank you to Sylvia and Jeff Passow of Brush Poppin Ranch for sharing Alice’s gifts as a mother with the Minnesota Zoo.

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