ZooNooz Article - JUNE 2008

Survivor - Persia

On December 6 last year, Taronga Western Plains Zoo welcomed the arrival of an unusual new baby, writes JUNE DOWNS.

Photographs Monique Counihan

Touran is a Persian Onager colt and he is the first baby Onager to be born at the zoo since 2001. Like all Onagers he had a long coat when he was born, but this was shed after two or three weeks leaving him with his typical short coat. His mother was very protective of him from the start, staying between him and the rest of the herd, and also between him and the interested visitors to the zoo.

The Persian Onager, called Goor in Iran, and sometimes known as the Asiatic Wild Ass, is a pretty, graceful and feisty member of the horse family, and has successfully survived in conditions which would prove truly difficult for most humans. And yet today, because they are hunted, because they compete with domestic animals for food and because shrubs on which they graze are removed for domestic use, these beautiful animals are Critically Endangered.

It is difficult to know exactly how many Onagers there are as their preservation is not a high priority in the countries where they live: the people in those countries have other more urgent problems! However, their numbers in Iran are believed to be between 400 and 600. Even these figures don't give a true picture, because most live in two isolated communities - the Touran Protected Area (our little colt was named after this) and the Bah-e-Goor Reserve. The fact that these two populations can't meet could result in the loss of genetic variability making them much more vulnerable in the event of disease or drought.

A further population of perhaps 200 to 300 is reported to live in the Kapet Mountains between Iran and Turkmenistan. However, these areas are not protected by any government and Onagers are hunted for sport.

The Onager is considered by some people to be the donkey of the Bible, although this is somewhat at odds with a description of them as "notoriously untameable". Although their preference is to run from predators, they will kick if necessary.

And they certainly are good kickers, a fact that was noted by the ancient Romans, who named a war machine after them. The Roman onager was a catapult, a spring-loaded siege engine, which could hurl large stones into a fort or settlement.

Onagers are slightly larger than donkeys, and, indeed, are considered to be the most horse-like of the asses.

They differ from horses in having long ears and a bristly upright mane.

Their tail is long with a tuft on the end that makes it look more like a zebra's than a horse's and their legs are short compared with the legs of horses. Their hooves are small and narrow, smaller than those of any other equid, and this helps them move quickly through the stony areas where they live. And when necessary they certainly can move very swiftly, reaching speeds of 60 kilometres an hour over a short distance. They can also cover large distances at a fast pace in extreme heat.

They now live in some of the most inhospitable areas in the world, harsh deserts where the summer temperatures can reach around 50°C.

They can thrive where most other animals will fail, eating tough lowgrowing plants and grasses that many others won't touch. They will also eat juicy succulents and even salty soil - and they can drink salty or brackish water. However, they do need to stay near reliable water sources as long as possible as they need more water than the asses of Africa.

This dependence on water has been one of the factors that has put them at risk as they are in direct competition with growing human populations. The fact that they are now found only in desert areas is due to humans with their ever-increasing domestic herds pushing them away from sources of water in more hospitable areas.

World wide there are 23 institutions that hold Persian Onagers, but only one of these is in the Southern Hemisphere - at Taronga Western Plains Zoo. The total number of captive animals in these institutions is only 139, and nine of them (or 6.5% of the total) live in Australia. It is obviously easier for animals to be transferred between the institutions in the Northern Hemisphere. The animals at Taronga Western Plains were first exhibited in 1979 with the arrival of two stallions and two mares, and the only new blood that has been introduced since that time was an additional one stallion and three mares in 1982. At present, the Australian group consists of one stallion, five mares, two geldings and the beautiful colt, Touran.

Touran is related to all the animals in the zoo, so obviously can't be allowed to breed with them. It would be wonderful if, when he is old enough, he could be sent to join a group in the Northern Hemisphere, and new Onagers sent here. Our group could thus become an integral part of the effort to save these beautiful, intelligent creatures.

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