Haven

Wild

The vegetation in the Wild Ass are slightly bigger consists of dry thorny scrubs. There are no large trees, and the main vegetation than a donkey, and are fast in the includes many species of and strong like a . 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 Bird life found in the Wild Ass Sanctuary ITTLE Rann of Kutch, situated the list of endangered species. Only Lin the of , 1,800 to 2,000 of the species survive was established in January 1972 as today. a sanctuary for the last population of They are slightly bigger than a (Equus hemionus khur), donkey, and are fast and strong like locally known as khur. The only other a horse. Few in the two subspecies of wild asses live in the kingdom can match the wild ass in high arid plateaus of Tibet. Around 150 terms of speed and stamina. They are kilometers off , the wild Ass capable of marathon runs at a pace of Wildlife Sanctuary covers an area of about 24 kilometers per hour for as roughly 5,000 square kilometers. long as two hours, reaching a top speed The climate of the region is extreme of 70 kilometers per hour over short with May being the hottest month. The distances. The khur inhabits hills during average temperature during this time the monsoon, and in the dry season is around 31°C. January is the coldest descends and forages along the edge of month with an average temperature the Little Rann, where it frequently raids of 11°C. During the monsoon, the cultivated fi elds during darkness. whole region becomes fl ooded with Apart from the wild ass, the region rainwater. is inhabited by other wild animals

SCIENCE REPORTER, JANUARY 2013 54 Wild Haven

also such as the , desert fox, for birds to feed and nest. Other birds and around the Rann. The tribes living jackal, desert cat, caracal, , wolf, that are more commonly sighted are the in the region are the Kolis, Rabaris, , and . blue-tailed bee-eater that comes all the Bajanias, Kutchis, Gujjars and the Besides, the sanctuary is home to way from ; the common crane Bharvads. nearly 350 different species of birds, and the demoiselle crane from ; The main threats to the Khur are including the common crane, pelican the ceraneous vulture from Egypt and overgrazing by livestock; persecution and the lesser fl amingo. Because of the houbara bustard from and Iraq. by farmers in retaliation for crop its proximity to the and One can also get a rare insight into raiding; and contraction of diseases situated on the migratory route of many the lifestyles of the numerous ethnic from domestic . From 1958- birds it becomes an important place groups and local tribes, which live in 1960, the wild ass became a victim of a disease known as surra, caused by The Khur was given full legal protection in 1952. Trypanosoma evansi and transmitted by fl ies, which caused a dramatic decline The other threats to this last refuge of the Indian Wild of its population in . In November Ass are from vehicular traffic that damages the fragile and December 1961, the wild ass population was reduced to just 870 after ecosystem. 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 traffi c 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.

55 SCIENCE REPORTER, JANUARY 2013