The Persian onager (''Equus hemionus onager''), also called the Persian wild ass or Persian zebra, is a subspecies
of
onager
The onager (; ''Equus hemionus'' ), A new species called the kiang (''E. kiang''), a Tibetan relative, was previously considered to be a subspecies of the onager as ''E. hemionus kiang'', but recent molecular studies indicate it to be a distinct ...
(Asiatic wild ass) native to
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
(
Persia
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
). It is listed as
Endangered
An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inva ...
,
[ with no more than 600 individuals left in the wild and only 30 individuals living within North American institutions.
]
Taxonomy and history
The Persian onager is also simply named ' (گور) meaning "zebra" in Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
. "Onager" is from the Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
''ὄναγρος'' (onagros), meaning "wild ass".
Sometimes, the term "onager" is reserved specifically for this subspecies. However, as the whole species of the Asiatic wild ass is known simply as onager, it now also serves as the Persian wild ass's scientific name, as well (''Equus hemionus onager''). Information on the basic biology of the subspecies and how it differs from others is lacking, which hampers conservation efforts.
Onagers used to be numerous from the Middle East to China. However, until the 19th century, their population has been reduced from several thousand to a few thousand. Currently, more than 600 Persian onagers are living in the wild.
Habitat and distribution
Persian wild asses are known to inhabit mountain steppes, semidesert, or desert plains. They are usually found in desert steppes. Their largest population is found in Khar Turan National Park
Khar Turan National Park or Touran Wildlife Refuge is a National Park in Iran. It is situated in the Semnan province, southeast of Shahrud. With a size of , it is the second largest reserve in Iran.
Khar Turan National Park also called the litt ...
.
Threats
The Persian onager is listed as endangered
An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inva ...
by IUCN Red List
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biol ...
, as it is close to extinction. Currently, poaching for meat and hides, competition with livestock, and drought are the greatest threats to this species.
Conservation status
Asiatic wild asses are legally highly protected; hunting them is forbidden. The European Endangered Species Programme The EAZA Ex-situ Programme (EEP) is a population management and conservation programme by European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) for wild animals living in European zoos. The programme was formerly known as the European Endangered Species ...
reserved for European Association of Zoos and Aquaria
The European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA), is an organisation for the European zoo and aquarium community that links over 340 member organisations in 41 countries. EAZA membership is open to all zoos and aquaria across Europe that compl ...
is helping save the Persian onager from extinction, by breeding them in captivity and reintroducing them to their former ranges, including in new locations once inhabited by Syrian onagers in Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Ukraine.
On August 30, 2014, Iranian officials reported that three Persian onagers were born in Khar Turan National Park reserve near Shahroud
Shahrood ( fa, شاهرود, also Romanized as Shâhrūd, and Shahroud; also known as Shârūd) is a city and capital of Shahrood County, Semnan Province, Iran.
Situated about an altitude of 1345 m, it is located at latitude 36°25'N, longi ...
in Semnan province, where it also has the largest populations of the equids.
In captivity
A few Persian onagers are breeding in various zoos of Europe and the Middle East, such as Chester
Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...
, Whipsnade
Whipsnade is a small village and civil parish in the county of Bedfordshire, England. It lies on the eastward tail spurs of the Chiltern Hills, about 4.2 km south-south-west of Dunstable on the top of the Dunstable Downs which drop away steepl ...
, and Yotvata :''"Yotvat" is also the Hebrew name for Tiran Island''.
Yotvata ( he, יׇטְבָתָה, ar, يوتفاتا) is a kibbutz in southern Israel. Located on the Arabah road in the southern Negev, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hevel Eilot Regi ...
. The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute
The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) is a unit of the Smithsonian Institution located on a campus located just outside the town of Front Royal, Virginia. An extension of the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., the SCBI has played ...
in Front Royal, Virginia
Front Royal is the only incorporated town in Warren County, Virginia, United States. The population was 15,011 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Warren County.
History
The entire Shenandoah Valley including the area to become F ...
, also breeds Persian onagers, including two born in June 2015. The first ever artificial insemination of any wild equid was in this species, and resulted in two Persian Onager foals at the Wilds conservation center in Southeastern Ohio
Appalachian Ohio is a bioregion and political unit in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Ohio, characterized by the western foothills of the Appalachian Mountains and the Appalachian Plateau. The Appalachian Regional Commission defines th ...
, in collaboration with experts from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute
The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) is a unit of the Smithsonian Institution located on a campus located just outside the town of Front Royal, Virginia. An extension of the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., the SCBI has played ...
.
Introduction projects
Since 2003, Persian onagers have been introduced in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
, where the Syrian wild ass
The Syrian wild ass (''Equus hemionus hemippus''), less commonly known as a hemippe, an achdari, or a Mesopotamian or Syrian onager, is an extinct subspecies of onager native to the Arabian peninsula and surrounding areas. It ranged across present ...
(''E. h. hemippus'') once lived. Introduced Persian onagers live in deserts foraging on grasses and branches or woodier plant material in dry seasons.
In 1968, 11 Persian and Turkmenian onagers were flown from their countries to Israel in exchange for mountain gazelle
The mountain gazelle (''Gazella gazella''), also called the Palestine mountain gazelle, is a species of gazelle widely but unevenly distributed.
Description
Mountain gazelle are one of the few mammals in which both sexes have horns. Males ha ...
s. These were bred in captivity at the Hai Bar Yotvata wildlife sanctuary. Together, they bred a few Persian/Turkmenian hybrids in Israel. Offspring were introduced into the wild in the Negev Mountains
Negev Mountains is a mountainous area in the north-western part of the Negev desert, in Israel. Mount Ramon is the summit of Negev Mountains and the highest point in southern Israel, reaching .
Most of the area belongs to Negev Mountains Nature ...
area, intended to replace the local subspecies gone extinct. The introduced onagers have since established a stable population around 200 individuals.
References
{{Taxonbar, from1=Q20908066, from2=Q1233230
Onager
Mammals of Asia
Mammals of the Middle East
Fauna of Iran
Endangered fauna of Asia
Mammals described in 1785