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Newborn Skyrian horse at our Park

 

We welcome our newborn  Skyrian horse at Attica Zoological Park, one of the rarest horse breeds in the world.

 

 

Info

 

The Skyrian horse is most probably a descendant of mountain horses which evolved in America about a million years ago and migrated by way of Alaska arriving in South – Eastern Europe during the early Holocene. It is the Skyrian horses that Alexander the Great took with him to conquer the world, and they are maybe the ones depicted on the Parthenon frieze. They have been used for agriculture on the Island of Skyros for centuries. During the winter they live in the wild, on the southern mountainous part of the island.

 

The species is critically endangered. Today there are only 190 horses left on the island and about 60 in the rest of Greece.  Three centers, in Thessaloniki, Corfu and Falani Larisas, are breeding Skyrian horses with a view to save this very rare and endangered species.

Our Zoo contributes to that conservation effort. 

 

The Skyrian Horse Society coordinates the studbook of the species (http://www.skyrianhorsesociety.gr)