Download Wild Ass are slightly bigger than a donkey, and are fast and strong

Wild Haven
L
ITTLE Rann of Kutch, situated
in the Thar Desert of Gujarat,
was established in January 1972 as
a sanctuary for the last population of
Indian wild ass (Equus hemionus khur),
locally known as khur. The only other
two subspecies of wild asses live in the
high arid plateaus of Tibet. Around 150
kilometers off Ahmedabad, the wild Ass
Wildlife Sanctuary covers an area of
roughly 5,000 square kilometers.
The climate of the region is extreme
with May being the hottest month. The
average temperature during this time
is around 31°C. January is the coldest
month with an average temperature
of 11°C. During the monsoon, the
whole region becomes flooded with
rainwater.
SCIENCE REPORTER, JANUARY 2013
The vegetation in the Rann of Kutch
consists of dry thorny scrubs. There are
no large trees, and the main vegetation
in the region includes many species of
grasses that are widely available as the
source of food for the wild asses. One of
the three surviving species of the Wild
Ass in the world, the khur is high on
the list of endangered species. Only
1,800 to 2,000 of the species survive
today.
They are slightly bigger than a
donkey, and are fast and strong like
a horse. Few animals in the animal
kingdom can match the wild ass in
terms of speed and stamina. They are
capable of marathon runs at a pace of
about 24 kilometers per hour for as
long as two hours, reaching a top speed
of 70 kilometers per hour over short
distances. The khur inhabits hills during
the monsoon, and in the dry season
descends and forages along the edge of
the Little Rann, where it frequently raids
cultivated fields during darkness.
Apart from the wild ass, the region
is inhabited by other wild animals
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Wild Ass are slightly bigger
than a donkey, and are fast
and strong like a horse.
Bird life found in the Wild Ass Sanctuary
Wild Haven
also such as the chinkara, desert fox,
jackal, desert cat, caracal, nilgai, wolf,
blackbuck, and striped hyena.
Besides, the sanctuary is home to
nearly 350 different species of birds,
including the common crane, pelican
and the lesser flamingo. Because of
its proximity to the Gulf of Kutch and
situated on the migratory route of many
birds it becomes an important place
for birds to feed and nest. Other birds
that are more commonly sighted are the
blue-tailed bee-eater that comes all the
way from Europe; the common crane
and the demoiselle crane from Siberia;
the ceraneous vulture from Egypt and
the houbara bustard from Iran and Iraq.
One can also get a rare insight into
the lifestyles of the numerous ethnic
groups and local tribes, which live in
The Khur was given full legal protection in 1952.
The other threats to this last refuge of the Indian Wild
Ass are from vehicular traffic that damages the fragile
ecosystem.
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and around the Rann. The tribes living
in the region are the Kolis, Rabaris,
Bajanias, Kutchis, Gujjars and the
Bharvads.
The main threats to the Khur are
overgrazing by livestock; persecution
by farmers in retaliation for crop
raiding; and contraction of diseases
from domestic horses. From 19581960, the wild ass became a victim of
a disease known as surra, caused by
Trypanosoma evansi and transmitted by
flies, which caused a dramatic decline
of its population in India. In November
and December 1961, the wild ass
population was reduced to just 870 after
to the outbreak of South African Horse
Sickness.
The Khur was given full legal
protection in 1952. The other threats to
this last refuge of the Indian Wild Ass
are from vehicular traffic that damages
the fragile ecosystem, cutting trees to
make charcoal, and extensive illegal salt
mining operations that are eating into
the sanctuary and causing pollution.
SCIENCE REPORTER, JANUARY 2013