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Indian Wild Ass population rises by 26% to 7,672 in Gujarat: Census

Oct 08, 2024 09:58 AM IST

Surendranagar district boasts the highest population, with 2,705 wild asses, followed by Kutch with 1,993, Patan with 1,615, Banaskantha with 710, Morbi with 642, and Ahmedabad with 7.

The population of Indian Wild Ass (Equus hemionus khur), found only in Gujarat, has risen from 6,082 in 2020 to 7,672 in 2024, an increase of about 26.14%, according to the latest population census released by Gujarat forest and environment minister Mulubhai Bera in Gandhinagar on Monday.

The Indian Wild Ass in its natural habitat. (Gujarat Forest Department)
The Indian Wild Ass in its natural habitat. (Gujarat Forest Department)

Highlighting the unique presence of wild asses in Gujarat as a source of pride for the entire state, Bera shared the historical range of these animals, which once extended from northwest India and Pakistan to the arid regions of Central Asia.

Today, however, they are primarily found in the Little Rann of Kutch (LRK) in Gujarat, in a protected area called the Wild Ass Sanctuary. The LRK has dual characteristics — that of a wetland and a desert. From June to September, the entire desert gets submerged in rainwater as well as seawater, attracting a large number of migratory birds.

The Wild Ass Population Estimation (WAPE) is carried out once in every four years in Gujarat. The Asiatic wild ass (Equus hemionus), also known as the onager, comprises five subspecies, one of which is the Indian Wild Ass, referred to as ‘Ghudkhur’ in Gujarat. The survey was conducted over an area of approximately 15,510 sqkm using the direct count method.

Presenting the findings of the latest survey, the forest minister highlighted that these animals predominantly inhabit six districts in Gujarat. According to the latest survey, Surendranagar district boasts the highest population, with 2,705 wild asses, followed by Kutch with 1,993, Patan with 1,615, Banaskantha with 710, Morbi with 642, and Ahmedabad with 7.

When examining the forest regions, Dhrangadhra emerges as the area with the largest population, reporting 3,234 wild asses. Radhanpur follows closely with 2,325, while Bhachau accounts for 2,113. Within these forest and sanctuary areas, the population includes 2,569 females, 1,114 males, 584 juveniles, and 2,206 unclassified individuals. In the revenue areas, there are 558 females, 190 males, 168 juveniles, and 283 unclassified wild asses, the minister said.

Following a drastic decline in the wild ass population from 4,500 to just 350 khurs in the late 1960s due to African Horse Sickness (commonly known as Surra), the Indian Wild Ass population faced severe challenges, according to experts.

It is included in the Red List of Threatened Species and was classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in its 2008 report. The Indian Wild Ass is also listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, highlighting the substantial conservation challenges this species faces.

It took more than four decades of rigorous protection by the forest department, since 1972, for the species to recover to its current population levels.

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