There are just a few days to go until the moment when Przewalski's horses will be running around the fenced in plain of Prague’s Dívčí hrady. As they do so they will not only bring back the history of this exceptional site and make it more attractive, but their grazing should also contribute to the return of some native species of flora and fauna.

However, I am haunted by the fear that sooner or later someone will feed our horses at Dívčí hrady, albeit out of ignorance, and, once they are suffering from pain, we will have to try and save them from death, possibly in vain.

This problem has worsened in the Czech Republic recently. People feed horses and other animals that don’t belong to them. Warning signs don’t help. After all, a bag of bread (a few apples, carrots – fill in as you wish) won’t hurt the horses. But it’s simply not the case. It often hurts! Tremendously!

Never try and feed horses – not Przewalski's or domestic ones. Feeding them can cause colic and other problems, which often end in a very painful death. Take a look at social networks, there are dozens of photos of horses killed by people who have given them food. However, those pictures don’t show what the dead horses went through before their death. They do not show their severe abdominal pain and cramps, nor do they show their intestines as they knot up and subsequently rupture.

So, I repeat: please, never feed horses or any animals that do not belong to you!

At Dívčí hrady, we will have co-workers and cameras to look out for the Przewalski's horses. What’s more, we decided to place electric fences inside the paddock, which will keep the horses away from the fence, and thus also from people. Despite all this, I have yet to be completely relieved of my fears. However, I will be very happy indeed if it turns out that I was wrong.