Efforts are under way to re-establish free-living populations of Przewalski's horse Equus przewalskii from zoo-bred individuals. The time is opportune to begin such initiatives as there are more than 660 individuals dispersed in over 70 zoological collections. In addition, the captive population is now increasing rapidly and has the potential to provide reasonable numbers of animals for reintroduction programmes without jeopardizing the maintenance of the population that serves as an ex-situ gene pool nucleus.