"It's not even a story of romance red library. The first days of courtship among wild horses in Milovice rather reminiscent of a scene from an action movie, "says events in the siege in Milovice Dalibor Dostal organization of Czech landscape. Stallion is a must fight for their position in the herd. Since his arrival on Monday so focused primarily on two hunting separate groups of mares in one herd.
Its role as guardian of the herd began to perform a stallion named Northcroft Firestarter immediately after discharge into a common enclosure. In each experiment, a group of several mares disconnect from mainstream female stray immediately sought out and brought them back to the flock. At the beginning, however mares, according to observers did not want to put up, and there was also kicks and bites rough. Twice stallion passed kicked to the ground.
"After two days, the stallion earned respect in the herd. If the mare herding too distracted, Northcroft Firestarter is a characteristic expression, reduced head and neck stretched forward, gets together after a while, "describes the development of a herd etoložka Martina Komárková from the Research Institute of Animal Production and Charles University. This is according to her behavior often observed in nature as well. Stallion is in fact responsible for the defense of the herd and therefore tries to minimize the risk that there would be a delay in mares. Whether this would be ohrozbu in the form of a predator or another stallion who might try to lure a stray mare into his harem.
The seven-year stallion had on Monday also the first successes in mares. First mated with two of them named Myrtle and Keira. On Wednesday, scientists observed mating, but noted another interesting element behavior, reproduction of wild horses that sometimes accompanies it. "One of the mares, Keira, showed clear signs of estrus, which is the stallion truly irresistible. But when Northcroft Firestarter Keira closer to each other and began to snuffle, swept the other mare Acanthis, which is superior to Keir, a stallion drove away, "says Martina Komárková.
Throughout the review period, more than five hours, Acanthis kept close behind Keira, built between her and the stallion and if you get too close, forcing Acanthis Keira run away or threatened stallions teeth. "He respected the situation. If Acanthis moment of its monitoring role departed, replaced by Kylin. She did not allow contact between Keira and Firestarter, "added Martin Komárková.
According to her, the reason for this behavior is likely foals. It is because of them dominant mares actively prevents mating mares them subordinates. Foals born, earlier in the season because they can have an advantage over their peers because they are bigger and more experienced and thus more easily achieve dominance. "Dominant stallions may, in the future, trying to find a harem, superior mares may be better off getting scarce resources, such as mineral licks , water and the like, and defend them, "explains Martin Komárková. On Thursday, the stallion after all managed to shake off his pursuer and mated with another mare.
In addition to watching the courtship ethologists other specific behavior of wild horses. For example, trying to supplement minerals in a natural way, and lick the dirt in places where after landscaping remained dug soil. Also prefer to drink water from the natural pools of water before bed.
Return wild horses to assist in the preservation of endangered steppe Milovice and its surroundings. The project involved experts from the Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Budejovice, University of South Bohemia in the Czech Budejovice, Charles University in Prague, Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic in Brno and other institutions.
Source: Ekolist.cz
