An Equine Adapted to Extremes
The Indian wild ass, Equus hemionus khur, is a subspecies of the Asiatic wild ass found only in the saline deserts of Gujarat, India. Its last refuge is the 4,954 square kilometer Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary in the Little Rann of Kutch. This landscape is a harsh, salt desert for much of the year, transforming into a vast seasonal wetland during the monsoon. The wild ass has evolved to endure extreme temperature variations, from 1°C to 50°C, in this environment.
The most remarkable adaptation of the khur, as it's known locally, is its ability to thrive where fresh water is scarce. They can derive moisture from the saline vegetation they consume, an important trait for survival in the salt-impregnated flats. Their diet consists of grasses, leaves, and fruits, but they are adapted to eat saline-tolerant plants like Suaeda fruticosa. In summer, when other vegetation is sparse, they feed on the pods of the invasive Prosopis juliflora. This dietary flexibility, combined with specialized kidney function, allows them to persist in a habitat that would be fatal to other large herbivores.
Social Life on the Salt Flats
Indian wild asses exhibit a fluid social structure known as a fission-fusion society. The primary social units are family groups, which consist of females and their offspring, and all-male "bachelor" herds. The bond between a mare and her foal is the strongest; other associations are temporary. During the monsoon when food is plentiful, these smaller bands may merge into larger temporary herds.
Stallions can be solitary or live in small groups. During the mating season, which coincides with the rains, dominant stallions defend territories. Fights can occur between males competing for access to females. These asses are among the fastest animals in India, capable of reaching speeds of 70 to 80 kilometers per hour, which helps them traverse the vast, open Rann and evade predators like wolves. They are primarily active during the day, grazing at dawn and dusk, but in areas near agriculture, they have adapted to become more active at night to raid crops.
The species has made a significant recovery. Disease and habitat loss reduced the population to just 362 individuals in the 1960s. Thanks to conservation efforts, including the establishment of the sanctuary in 1972, the population was estimated at 7,672 in 2024.