The Asian Wild Ass was once considered to be among the largest population of ungulates,
along with horses, cows, camels, and deer. Herds of 1,000 or more Asian
Wild Asses have often been observed in Central and West Asia. Like many
other large grazing animals, the asian wild ass' range has contracted
greatly under the pressures of hunting and habitat loss, and of the six
subspecies, one is extinct and two are endangered.
Asian Wild Ass are a little larger than donkeys at about 290 kilograms and 2.1 metres , and are a little more horse-like.
They are short-legged compared to horses, and their coloring varies
depending on the season. They are generally reddish-brown in color
during the summer, becoming yellowish-brown in the winter months. They
have a black stripe bordered in white that extends down the middle of
the back. They are notoriously untameable.
The Asian Wild Ass lives in the grasslands and
deserts of Central and West Asia.Most people associate a donkey with a
slow moving animal, but the Asian Wild Ass is one of the fastest running
asses in the horse family. They can run 70 kilometers or more per hour
in short spurts. The
kiang , a Tibetan relative, was previously considered to be a subspecies
of the asian wild ass as E. hemionus kiang, but recent molecular
studies indicate that it is a distinct species.
Today, the Asian Wild Ass is on the brink of extinction.
This is partially due to the expansion of grazing land. Livestock
animals have taken over their grassland and watering areas. But it is
also because of an expansion of farmlands which has shrunk their habitat
and forced them to separate. No longer is it possible to see herds of
1,000 asses. Conservation efforts have helped them recover their
population in some areas, but as a whole, the Asian Wild Ass is still an
endangered species. Source
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