For more than a century, wild horses lived on Santa Cruz Island, becoming a breed of their own, with unique traits formed by generations of living on the rugged Channel Islands. Now off of the island, the repercussions of seclusion have left the breed teetering on the brink of extinction.

A multimedia story posted today explores how researchers from UC Davis are working to preserve the Santa Cruz Island horse.

“It’s truly a piece of California history we’re trying to preserve,” said UC Davis researcher Amy McLean. “If we lose these genetics, we lose these horses, we lose that history and a part of our heritage.”

Read the story and watch the videos, “Saving a Dying Breed.”