PART 1 Species Status and Conservation Action Plans: Africa 1 Chapter 1 Status and Action Plan for the African Wild Ass (Equus africanus) Patricia D. Moehlman 1.1 Nomenclature and CITES Listing: conservation status Equus africanus Appendix I E. a. africanus Scientific name: E. a. somaliensis Equus africanus Heuglin and Fitzinger 1866 Equus africanus africanus Heuglin and Fitzinger 1866 Equus africanus somaliensis Noack 1884 1.2 Biological data Important synonyms: Equus asinus 1.2.1 Distribution Common names: During the Pleistocene, the African wild ass may have African wild ass, Somali wild ass, Abyssinian wild ass, existed in Israel and Syria. Historically, there were three Nubian wild ass recognised subspecies. The Atlas wild ass, Equus africanus atlanticus, was found in the Atlas region of north-western Indigenous names: Algeria, and adjacent parts of Morocco and Tunisia. It Dabokali (Afar), Adghi Bareka (Tigrinia), Eritrea survived in this area until about 300 AD (Antonius 1938). Gumburiga (Issa), Dibakoli (Afar), Ethiopia, Gumburiga, In recent times, there have been reports of wild asses in Gumburi, Somalia northern Chad and the Hoggar Massif of the central Sahara, but it is in doubt as to whether these are true wild IUCN Red List Category (version 2.3): asses. Equus africanus CR A1b Critically Endangered The Nubian wild ass, Equus africanus africanus, lived E. a. africanus CR A1b Critically Endangered in the Nubian desert of north-eastern Sudan, from east of E. a. somaliensis CR A1b Critically Endangered the Nile River to the shores of the Red Sea, and south to The African wild ass (Equus africanus). ©Patricia D. Moehlman 1998 2 the Atbara River and into northern Eritrea. During aerial per 100km2. The Teo area, which is now part of the flights in the 1970s, wild asses were seen in the Barka Yangudi-Rassa National Park, had the highest density Valley of Eritrea and in the border area between Eritrea with 30 wild asses per 100km2. In May/June 1972, the and the Sudan (Watson 1982). Catskill Game Farm captured 12 wild asses in the valleys The Somali wild ass, Equus africanus somaliensis, was to the north-west of Serdo. During the eight-day period, a found in the Denkelia region of Eritrea, the Danakil total of four more wild asses were captured and released, Desert and the Awash River Valley in the Afar region of and an additional 37 wild asses were observed. This is north-eastern Ethiopia, western Djibouti, and into the within an area of approximately 350km2. Thus, there were Ogaden of eastern Ethiopia. In Somalia, they ranged from approximately 15 African wild asses per 100km2. In 1976, Meit and Erigavo in the north to the Nugaal Valley, and Stephenson (1976) carried out an aerial survey in an area as far south as the Shebele River (Ansell 1971; Klingel similar to Klingel’s Teo area and in an area of 3,990km2 1980; Moehlman 1989). The most comprehensive review had an estimated wild ass density of 21.0 per 100km2. In of the historical literature concerning African wild ass July/August 1995, Thouless (1995) conducted aerial surveys distribution is in Yalden et al.’s Catalogue of the Mammals of the Yagudi-Rassa National Park (Teo area) and the of Ethiopia (1986). There is disagreement in the scientific adjoining wildlife reserves, and observed no African wild literature as to whether the African wild ass is one asses. continuously distributed species or if there are valid Starting in January 1994, Moehlman and Kebede subspecies (Ansell 1971; Groves and Willoughby 1981; conducted surveys of the Yangudi-Rassa National Park Ziccardi 1970; Yalden et al. 1986). According to Watson and the Mille-Serdo Wild Ass Reserve (Moehlman 1994a, (1982), there is a semi-continuous population extending 1994b; Kebede 1994, 1995; Kebede and Ayele 1994). Issa from northern Somalia into Ethiopia and, possibly, nomads were utilising the Yangudi-Rassa National Park through Eritrea and into the Sudan. A matter of perhaps and, in some areas, their herds of sheep and goats were in greater concern is the genetic integrity of the wild stock, excess of 50 per km2 (Thouless 1995). No wild asses were e.g. determining if wild populations are interbreeding with seen and oral reports from local inhabitants indicated that domestic donkeys (Equus africanus ‘familiaris’, Gentry wild asses were rare and probably existed at a density of et al. 1996). well below one per 100km2. Thus, in an area where Klingel and Stephenson had observed approximately 20–30 wild 1.2.2 Population estimates and trends asses per km2 in the 1970s, 20 years later the population exists at a critically low level. Somalia Between 1978 and 1980, Watson (1982) conducted aerial Figure 1.1. Historic and current distribution of surveys in northern Somalia and estimated a population the African wild ass (Equus africanus). of 4,000–6,000 wild asses in the area from the Nugaal Valley to the Djibouti border. Given the area covered by the survey, this would indicate approximately six wild asses per 100km2. Between 1979 and 1982, Simonetta and Simonetta (1983) estimated about 250 wild asses in the north-western Nugaal Valley and about 50 wild asses near Meit, with scattered groups occurring along the coast in the Erigavo region. In 1989, a ground survey with limited aerial reconnaissance in the Nugaal Valley yielded population estimates of roughly 135 to 205 wild asses or approximately 2.7 to 4.1 asses per 100km2 (Moehlman 1998). This indicates, perhaps, a 50% reduction in the wild ass population during the decade between those surveys. In 1997, Moehlman returned to the Nugaal Valley, but was not able to survey the entire area. Local pastoralists, however, said that there were less than ten African wild asses left in the Nugaal Valley. Ethiopia During 1970 and 1971, Klingel and Watson conducted an aerial survey of the Teo area (5,280km2), the Tendaho- Serdo area (4,270km2), and the Lake Abbe area (6,550km2). Klingel (1972) estimated a total of 3,000 wild asses or 18.6 3 In the Mille-Serdo area, Moehlman and Kebede and camel to the Messir Plateau. In an area of surveyed the area to the north-west and to the south of approximately 50km2, they were able to identify individuals Serdo (2,000km2). In areas where Klingel and the Catskill and determine a population density of roughly 47 African Game Farm personnel had observed 15 to 18.6 wild asses wild asses per 100km2. This is the highest population per 100km2, and Klingel (1977) had observed temporary density found anywhere in the present range of the species groups of 43 and 49 individuals, Moehlman and Kebede and is similar to population densities recorded in Ethiopia (1994–1996) could find a total of only ten wild asses. The in the early 1970s. Currently, the African wild ass density largest group observed between 1994 and 1996 had six in other locales is less than one individual per 100km2. The individuals. Messir Plateau is part of the Asaila Mountains, a range Similar to previous observations (Klingel 1977), a that covers approximately 800km2. A potentially viable solitary male occupied a consistent territory. Small, population of approximately 400 African wild asses may temporary groups were composed of females and their extend through the Danakil Depression to Ethiopia. offspring, and occasionally an adult male. At present, Given the absence of guns among rural people and the observations indicate that mother and offspring comprise conservation ethic among local Afar pastoralists, the the only stable groups. This is the only area in Ethiopia African wild ass has good potential for recovery in where it has been possible to consistently see African wild Eritrea. asses, but they are very low in density, and it requires days of walking the volcanic mountains to see these very wild and shy animals. Even if as many as one African wild ass 1.3 Behavioural ecology per 100km2 exists throughout the species’ former range (16,000km2), the population in Ethiopia probably numbers The African wild ass in the deserts of Eritrea and Ethiopia less than 160 individuals. Since most local pastoralists live in temporary groups that are small and typically carry automatic rifles, wildlife continues to be at risk of composed of fewer than five individuals. The only stable (over) exploitation (Moehlman et al. 1998). groups are composed of a female and her offspring. In temporary groups, the sex and age-group structure varies Eritrea from single-sex adult groups to mixed groups of males and Due to Eritrea’s 30-year war for independence, there are females of all ages. Adult males are frequently solitary, but no long-term data on African wild ass populations. also associate with other males. Adult females usually However, recent surveys indicate that viable populations associate with their foal and/or yearling. Some adult males exist in the area between the Buri Peninsula and the are territorial and only territorial males have been observed Denkelia Depression (Moehlman et al. 1998). In 1998, the copulating with estrous females. Thus, the African wild ass team of Moehlman, Yohannes, Hagos, Woldu, and local exhibits the social organisation typical of equids that live in Afar pastoralist, Saleh Mohamed Abdullah, went by foot arid habitats (Klingel 1977; Moehlman 1998). Table 1.1. Equus africanus somaliensis population estimates. Location Year Year Year Comments Trend Somalia Nugaal Valley 1982 : 250 1989 : 100 1997 : 10 1982: Ground survey Decreasing Simonetta and Moehlman (1989) Moehlman (1998) 1989: Ground and aerial Simonetta (1983) 1997: Ground survey and interview Ethiopia Yangudi Rasa 1971 : 1,584 1976 : 838 1995 : 0 1971: Aerial survey Decreasing 5,280km2 3,990km2 2,800km2 1976: Aerial survey Klingel (1972) Stephenson Thouless (1995) 1995: Aerial survey density = 30/100km2 (1976) 21/100km2 0/100km2 Mille Serdo 1971 : 794 1972 : 53 1994–98 : < 20 1971: Ground survey Decreasing 4,270km2 350km2 2,000km2 1972: Ground survey Klingel (1972) Moehlman et al.