Introduced on the Causse Méjean in the 90s, Przewalski's horses are almost part of the landscape. But the Takh association, which is carrying out the project, finds itself in a critical financial situation.
“We have funds until the end of 2025, after…” Pauline Joinnault, project manager for the Takh association, is sounding the alarm. The association which has been working for more than 30 years to save Przewalski's horse was until now 80% financed by the Mava foundation , but the latter was dissolved in 2022. Takh has been operating since then with the remainder. A situation which cannot continue: for 2025 alone, Takh would need 170. 000 € so that its budget is balanced.
Managing the 40-hectare park requires significant resources, between costs related to the horses, the maintenance of the enclosure and buildings as well as the salaries of the five employees. “We focused on the heart of our mission, that is to say recovering horses from parks and letting them live in semi-freedom on the plateau to reintroduce them in Mongolia and more generally in Asia.explains the project manager. There was no activity that made it possible to generate money.”
New activities and a call for donations
To generate new income, the association has therefore engaged in the development of tourist activities. Since last year, Takh has offered two-hour visits to the heart of the enclosure and four-day immersive stays. The association will very soon launch a horse sponsorship operation. Donors will have access to insider information about equines and will be able to attend exclusive events. Takh also launched a call for donations via its website.
However, the association does not forget its scientific vocation. Researchers or students can thus be welcomed for internships and training, particularly in ethology. “There is a very strong affect and symbolism around this wild horse. From a scientific point of view, it shakes up a lot of codes. There are quite a few people from the horse riding community who come to see usnote Pauline Joinnault. Observing these horses in their almost wild state, almost without impregnation, provides very rich information for understanding our domestic horses.“
In addition to Przewalski's horses, the Méjean offers a very rich natural heritage likely to interest a wider audience. Especially since the association has restored several buildings in the hamlet of Villaret, in Hures-la-Parade, using local craftsmen and can now offer accommodation. “We moved in last year. We would like to see these buildings live.”
A scientific success
However, Takh's story has everything of a success. Thanks to her and other associations around the world, the Przewalski horse went from being “extinct in the wild” to “in danger of extinction” in just a few decades. The association based on the Méjean Causse alone enabled the reintroduction of 22 equines into Mongolia, between 2004 and 2005. A resounding success: this same herd now numbers 150 horses. Takh would like to go even further. “The idea would be to connect the different reserves of Mongolia, which are very distant, to create genetic mixing“, underlines the project manager.
41 horses and five births in 2024
In 2024, there were five births on the Méjean, including three females. “It's very rare“, specifies Pauline Joinnault. The herd has now reached its demographic ceiling, with 41 horses. A transfer to another park should have already taken place this winter, but given the urgency of the financial situation, the association was forced to postpone the project. She hopes to have sufficient funds to do it this year.
