Context: 

As per the 10th Wild Ass Population Estimation (WAPE) conducted by the Gujarat government, the population of Indian wild asses in Gujarat has shown a significant increase. 

Key Findings

• The 10th Wild Ass Population Estimation (WAPE) has estimated the wild ass population in Gujarat at 7,672, representing a remarkable 26.14% increase since the last estimation in 2020, which estimated 6,082 population.
• The population of wild asses has been witnessing an upward trend since 1976, when there were only 720 of them in the state.
• The latest survey shows that Surendranagar district in Gujrat has the highest concentration of wild asses, with 2,705 individuals recorded. Other significant populations were noted in Kutch (1,993), Patan (1,615), Banaskantha (710), Morbi (642) and Ahmedabad (7).
• This rise in numbers underscores the effective conservation strategies implemented by the state.
• The WAPE-2024 covered an extensive area of 15,510 square kilometres using the Direct Count Method. Apart from training on conventional methods of enumeration, the enumerators also utilised advanced methods such as drone cameras and camera traps for accurate counting.

About Indian Wild Ass

• The scientific name of Indian Wild Ass is Equus hemionus khur. It is a sub-species of Asian Wild Ass i.e., Equus hemionus.
• Indian Wild Ass is locally known as the 'Ghudkar' and ‘Khur’. It has golden cream-coloured round patches on its white coat and also has a dark brown mane along the back. 
• It is considered as a flagship species in Little Rann of Kutch to conserve the biodiversity of the landscape. 
• Habitat: It lives in the saline desert, dry grassland and open scrub forests.
• Distribution: The wild ass once roamed North-West India, Pakistan, and Central Asia, but is now only found in the Little Rann of Kutch and the Khadir & Tragadi islands in the Great Rann of Kutch.
• Food: It is herbivorous, and feeds on grass, leaves, fruits, saline vegetation and agricultural crops.
• IUCN Status: Near Threatened (NT)

Protection: It is listed in Schedule I of The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972

• The Wild Ass Sanctuary, in the Little Rann of Kutch, is the only place on earth where the endangered Indian Wild Ass lives.