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African wild asses are classified as critically endangered.
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African Wild Ass
Equus africanus
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Subspecies: There are two subspecies of African wild ass, the
Nubian wild ass (E. a. africanus) and the Somali wild ass (E. a. somaliensis).
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Distribution:
African wild asses once occurred throughout the eastern regions of Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, and what is
now Eritrea. Today, African wild asses occur in northeast Ethiopia, Eritrea, and a population in Somalia.
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Ecology:
African wild asses live in small groups composed of females and their young, with males often living
solitary lives defending territories. Evidence from other equid species suggests that groups of
African wild asses are small because forage availability is low; there isn't enough forage in
a given patch of land to support many asses. African wild asses produce their first foal at five
years of age, and it appears they have a foal every other year.
These asses appear to be grazers, and are well adapted to
living in semi-arid and arid areas. African wild asses can loose almost a third of their body weight
in water and still survive!
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Conservation Status:
Evidence suggests that African wild asses in Somalia declined by 50% in the 1980s.
Large declines in asses within Ethiopia have been documented as well. Only
Eritrea has a stable African wild ass population.
Critically endangered African wildlife asses face three main threats: the asses are
hunted, they must compete with livestock for forage, and they may breed with
domestic asses. Weapons and ammunition are readily available in Somalia and Ethiopia,
encouraging poaching or hunting. Asses require access to water, and must remain within walking
distance; these requirements are shared by pastoralists' livestock, causing conflicts.
Lastly, inter-breeding with domestic donkeys owned by pastoralists could cause the
extinction of the wild ass through genetic dilution, rather than a declining population.
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Recommendations:
Too little is known of the basic biology of African wild asses, including how local
pastoralists affect them. Surveys should be conducted in areas where the animals are not
currently being monitored, including northern Eritrea, Sudan, and Egypt.
We should explore if the two subspecies of African wild ass (africanus
and somaliensis) are genetically distinct. That work would also quantify how
much asses have inbred with domestic donkeys.
Lastly, and most importantly, methods should be found to reduce poaching and hunting of
asses, and reduce other conflicts between pastoralists and African wild asses. This may
include establishing reserves.
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Distribution and information were summarized from Moehlman (2002), Chapter 1 of the
Equid Action Plan.
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