We are thrilled to share the news that the Explorers Club has honoured our nature recovery programme. Flag #179 was presented to mark the release of the first wild horses at Pangea in the presence of our royal patron, HRH Princess Diana d’Orléans, Duchess of Cadaval. The flag first travelled to Mount Everest in 1963 and has since accompanied expeditions to the Amazon Rainforest, the North Pole, and the ocean floor in the South Pacific.
Explorer’s Club Board Member, David Isserman, said, “Introducing Sorraias to the Alentejo is a meaningful endeavour on its own, and it is made even more compelling and unique given the use of rewilding techniques to prepare the land for captive elephants in need of sanctuary. All partners involved are dedicated to breaking new ground, embodying the spirit of the Explorer’s Club, and that’s why we have honoured this progressive initiative.”
Native to Portugal, the Sorraia horse is among the world’s rarest equine breeds and was first identified in the Sorraia River Valley in the 1920s by zoologist Dr. Ruy d’Andrade. Sadly, their numbers dwindled to near extinction, but it is hoped that numbers will grow with dedicated breeding programs. Today, only a few hundred Sorraias remain globally, primarily in Portugal and Germany. These resilient herbivores played a key role in maintaining the health of Mediterranean ecosystems. As all-year-round natural grazers, they help reduce wildfire risks, improve soil health, and encourage native plant growth, which creates habitats that support pollinators, mammals, and birds.
The initiative is run in partnership with Rewilding Portugal who have already demonstrated success in the Greater Côa Valley. The release of Sorraias at Pangea is a first for them in the Alentejo region. Jose Fontes, Rewilding Portugal’s Project Manager, said “We’ve worked with various large herbivores to fill the ecological role of natural grazers, and the Sorraias have proven excellent at breaking up shrubland, creating better conditions for other wildlife. That’s why we recommended their introduction to Pangea. They inherited their resilience from their primitive ancestors, and they are such beautiful animals – an absolute pleasure to work with. We’re looking forward to helping Pangea track how the landscape adapts to them and indeed how resident elephants transform the land in future.”
Read the full article in the Portugal News here
