Taipei Zoo's horse whisperer has thing for wild horses

Taipei Zoo officials said Wednesday that the keeper charged with taking care of the zoo's wild horses -- said to be one of the most hard-to-handle species -- has an uncanny knack for dealing with the animals.

Przewalski's horse (Equus ferus przewalskii), commonly known as the Asian wild horse or the Mongolian wild horse, is known to be feisty and even routine checkups, vaccinations and medical treatment can be fraught with difficulty, the officials said.

Senior keeper Hu Chung-yuan, however, who has 13 years of experience, has a thing for handling the zoo's horses and can approach every one of them, with the exception of the oldest stallion. Hu recalled that he was once kicked when he tried to stop two stallions fighting. The next day, his assailant lifted its leg to him, which Hu said he took as a gesture of apology.