A Geographic Assessment of the Global Scope for Rewilding with Wild-Living Horses (Equus ferus).
Authors: Naundrup Pernille Johansen, Svenning Jens-Christian
Journal: PloS one
Summary
# Editorial Summary Rewilding programmes increasingly focus on restoring megafauna species lost during the late Quaternary, and horses represent a particularly compelling candidate given their historical ubiquity, functional importance as coarse-grass grazers, and continued existence in wild and feral populations despite domestication. Johansen and Svenning employed species distribution modelling linked to climate data from existing wild-living horse populations to map climatically suitable rewilding zones globally, with winter temperature and precipitation emerging as the primary climatic constraints. Their analysis identified extensive suitable habitat across the Americas, Eurasia, Africa, and Australia, with Europe alone offering up to 1.5 million hectares within five major rewilding areas—substantially expanding the geographic scope for viable horse reintroduction beyond previously assumed limitations. Whilst horses' grazing ecology and ecosystem engineering potential make them ecologically valuable for habitat management, realising these programmes demands sophisticated stakeholder engagement, as practitioners must navigate conflicts with agricultural interests, legal frameworks governing domestic animals, regional perceptions of invasive species, and competing conservation objectives. For equine professionals involved in range management, breeding programmes, or advisory roles, these findings underscore both the opportunity and the necessity for multidisciplinary collaboration in rewilding initiatives.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Wild-living horse populations could be viable across large geographic areas including Europe, but rewilding initiatives must engage with local ranchers and agricultural stakeholders to manage potential land-use conflicts.
- •Climate suitability for wild horses is determined by cold-season temperature and precipitation patterns—these factors should guide selection of rewilding sites in your region.
- •Understanding horses as keystone species for ecosystem management may create new opportunities for conservation-aligned grazing models on suitable properties.
Key Findings
- •Climate models identified 1.5 million hectares suitable for rewilding with wild horses across five major European areas, with suitable climates found across large portions of the Americas, Eurasia, Africa, and Australia.
- •Mean temperature in coldest quarter, precipitation in coldest quarter, and precipitation in driest quarter were the strongest climatic predictors of wild horse habitat suitability.
- •Wild horses are functionally important keystone species due to their ability to graze coarse, abrasive grasses and their potential to restore megafauna-depleted ecosystems.
- •Successful rewilding requires addressing human-horse conflicts, agricultural concerns, invasive species perception, and domestic animal legislation in target regions.