The tarpan Equus caballus gmelini is the original European wild horse. The last specimen of this species died in a Moscow zoo in 1875.
Polish farmers did often cross the tarpan with their domestic horses. The result was a small horse breed, the konik. Such animals similar to the tarpan are now used like the Heck Cattle to breed back the tarpan and to fill in the niche that was left vacant by their extinction.
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