A widely shared video of veterinarian Dr. Ovidiu Roșu helping a restrained mare and being gently approached by another free-roaming horse in Romania’s Danube Delta brought public attention to a long-running, complex conservation project.

The horses have a 700-year history in the region and expanded significantly after 1989. As their numbers grew, however, they began putting increasing pressure on the protected Letea Forest ecosystem, eventually contributing to a serious conservation crisis in 2011.

In response, FOUR PAWS and veterinary teams introduced a non-lethal immunocontraception program designed to manage the horse population without resorting to harmful or lethal methods. Over more than a decade, the initiative combined population management with veterinary care and ongoing scientific monitoring.

The program continued for years as teams worked to protect both the horses and the fragile ecosystem they inhabited. After more than a decade of conservation efforts, responsibility for the project was formally handed over to Romania’s national authorities in 2025.