Endangered wild horses returned to natural habitat

2,000 of the animals that exist today are descendants of 12 caught in the wild

If the world's only surviving wild horses had a say in the matter, they might opt for a cozy stable and fresh daily oats, scientists studying them joke.

But the path out of oblivion for the species known as Przewalski's horse - which only two decades ago was extinct in the wild - lies in getting on a plane to China, Mongolia and, most recently, the Russian steppes with their deep snow and icy winds.