A volta das bestas: bring back wild horses to the Froxán commons (Galicia)

Garranos (Equus ferus atlanticus), wild horses of the Northwestern Iberian peninsula, have been a central element of the cultural landscape of the Atlantic mountains for millennia. Today, they are essential for preserving peatland and wet heath habitats, reducing wild fires, sequestering carbon, and preventing ecosystem degradation. Support the Montescola Foundation to reintroduce wild horses to the Froxán commons and Serra da Xiroña.

Project we support

Support the first herd of wild horses in the Froxán Commons

Fundación Montescola

Froxán is the first Indigenous and Community Conserved Area (ICCA) recognized in the Iberian Peninsula by the United Nations Environment Programme (in 2017). Over the past decade, the community has restored its territory, eliminating invasive species such as eucalyptus and acacia, restoring the Campo de Lamas bog, and planting more than 20,000 native trees. Now it is taking a decisive step with the reintroduction of wild horses. Their disappearance in the 1980s contributed to the encroaching of the landscape, the intensification of fires, and the degradation of peatlands and wet heaths. Montescola is forming an initial herd with a stallion and nine young mares that will be released into the Froxán ICCA to serve as the initial nucleus for the recovery of the populations in the Serra da Xiroña. The funds will be used entirely for the acquisition (and transportation) of animals, insurance, and basic management infrastructure.

Posted on
31/07/2025

Website:
https://www.instagram.com/montescola/

Group updates

Joám Evans Pim
Teaming Manager

17/08/2026 09:20 h

Muitas de vós perguntasteis nestes dias se os incêndios que houve em Lousame na semana passada afetaram o nosso monte e a Noa, a Estrelada e o Martinho.
Por sorte, embora os lumes tenham andado muito perto e a situação continue a ser de risco extremo, desta vez não nos afetou.
As nossas bestas continuam a fazer o seu trabalho: ajudar a tornar Froxán um espaço mais resiliente, biodiverso e seguro perante o risco de incêndios.
Deixamos-vos este vídeo delas na sua nova casa!
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Muchas de vosotras nos habéis preguntado estos días si los incendios que hubo en Lousame la semana pasada afectaron a nuestro monte y a Noa, Estrelada y Martinho.
Por suerte, aunque los incendios han estado muy cerca y la situación continúa siendo de riesgo extremo, esta vez no nos afectaron.
Nuestras bestias continúan haciendo su trabajo: ayudar a hacer de Froxán un espacio más resiliente, biodiverso y seguro frente al riesgo de incendios.
¡Os dejamos este vídeo de ellas en su nuevo hogar!