Hungarian scientists capture majestic wild horses in their natural habitats thanks to drones

Researchers in Hungary are using drones to track the movements of an almost 300-member herd of endangered horses.

The Przewalski's horses live on remote plains, far away from human interference.

These wild horses were once extinct in the wild, but thanks to captive breeding programmes there are around 2,000 Przewalski's horses roaming free again.

A herd numbering 278 horses lives in Hortobágy National Park in Hungary. They may one day be released into the wild.

Researchers from Eötvös Loránd University and the University of Debrecen are taking to the air to better understand the social systems of these beautiful animals.

Scientists use two drones during the observations: one flying high above the herd and another getting close up, so that they can identify individual animals.

"Scientific study of the Przewalski's horses is really interesting," explains Máté Nagy from Eötvös Loránd University.

"They have this hierarchy, or the whole herd moves together and within the herds, there are the harems and within the harems, there are family bonds and then the individuals. And then we wanted to understand this system," he adds.

Przewalski's horses are considered the last truly wild horse left on the planet as other species like the American Mustang are descended from domesticated animals. The species were once common across the vast steppes of Central Asia.

By the time they were discovered by Russian geographer Nikolai Przewalski in 1879, their habitat had been reduced to a small area of western Mongolia. Competition from livestock, human activity and changes to their environment had all but wiped them out.

After the Second World War, their numbers were so low it became clear they could become extinct in the wild.

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