Paper short abstract:

In this paper I discuss conservation practices aimed at averting extinctions, which generate multiple trajectories of becoming wild, by exploring the history of reintroducing the Przewalski's horse from zoos to the Mongolian desert steppe.

Paper long abstract:

This paper looks at conservation as a range of practices that drive multiple and unexpected becomings of a species. The biology and behavior of endangered species are often poorly understood. Basic things, like what do the animals eat, how do they breed, are unknown. But, witnessing the downfall of the species, a feeling of crisis fuels humans' action. They hedge their bets by breeding the species under human care. Veterinarians and breeding specialists often employ controlling techniques in captivity, trying to enhance reproduction, to ensure the safety in numbers that a species needs to stave off extinction. However, controversies emerge regarding how much management can animals withstand before losing behaviors that would allow them to survive in the wild, to forage, or to mate with their own kind. Often, wildlife biologists, wary of too much interference, contest the veterinarians' perspective. They advocate for different practices, grounded in visions of animal autonomy. I argue that the two repertoires of practice can indeed produce different animals. I explore these issues here through the history of reintroducing the Prezewalski's horse to the Gobi desert of Mongolia, which began in 1992, after decades of captive-breeding in zoos. The reintroduction was first run by a veterinarian, whose husbandry-inspired practices shattered the expectation of truly 'rewilding' the animals. Later, a wildlife biologist took over. His practices promoted the animals' self-reliance. Drawing on archival sources, interviews, and fieldwork, I show how conservation practices were constituted and how they generated multiple ways of becoming the wild horse.