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Majestic Wild Horses Spotted Galloping in Greek Mountains

Wild horses in the Achelous River. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

An amazing video posted on Twitter of wild horses running free on Smolikas Mountain, the second tallest mountain in Greece, is sure to inspire curiosity about these majestic creatures.


The tweet states “Good morning from the Mongolia of Greece,” referring to the many wild horses seen in Mongolia.
Wild horses are rare in Greece. The majestic beasts are most often spotted near two rivers in Greece, the Axios River, which runs from the Republic of Northern Macedonia through Northern Greece and into the Thermaic Gulf, and the Achelous River, which is located in Western Greece.

Wild Horses near the Achelous River. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

These wild horses are related to the Pindos Pony, a breed of domesticated horses from the Pindus Mountains in Thessaly and Epirus. They are also found in mountainous regions of Macedonia and Thrace.
During the middle of the twentieth century, many rural Greeks moved to cities, abandoning agricultural activities as well as the traditional husbandry that they and their ancestors had practiced for many centuries. It is thought that today’s wild horses in Greece resulted from their owners abandoning them during this period of urban migration.
On account of their migrating patterns, it is difficult to keep an accurate record of the population of wild horses in Greece. However, researchers state that they have seen a dramatic decrease in the number of wild horses in the past 20 years.
This is thought to be due to climate change, decreasing food supplies, and increased human activity in their habitats.
 

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