Wild Ass Sanctuary

A flat, salt-cracked huge barren desert, hissing sand storms and the majestic Ghudkhar wandering over mirage waters make the little Rann of Kachchh an exclusive and one of the most fascinating wilderness of the world. The Sanctuary was established in 1973 covering entire little Rann and wastelands of bordering five districts with an area of 4953 Sq. KM. The Rann was a shallow part of the Gulf of Kachchh earlier. It is formed through the process of siltation of marine estuary. During monsoon, the discharge of river and rainwaters together with seawater blown up due to southwest winds, the Rann becomes an enormous shallow sheet of water, which dries up by October, November leaving a flat surface to give super highway for vehicles.

Indian Wild Ass (EQUUS HEMIONUS KHUR) kanha national park

Locally known, as 'Ghud Khar' was once widespread in the North-western India. West Pakistan and South Iran. They are now found only in the Rann of Kachchh of Gujarat State. The Wild Ass falls in Family Equidae that includes Horses, Zebras and Donkeys.

Indian Wild Ass is one of the sturdiest animals in the world, withstanding scorching midday temperatures unto 45° C or more without any refuge in midst of the desert and facing long phases of drought as well as other calamities with relative easiness, where others cannot survive. It has strength and speed of a horse and can run at speeds of 60 to 70 Km/hr. A mature beast stands 120 cms in height and 210 cms in length, weighing about 230 kg. It possesses a shiny white coat with grayish-brown patches and a black or brown hairy stripe in the centre enhancing its attractiveness. They move about either singly or in herds (10 to 30) rummaging around for fodder and sweet water, resting only in hot afternoon hours. They eat what they get, generally scrubby grass and pods of prosopis. The breeding season is August to October and after a gestation period of 11 Months; only one young one is delivered which joins the herd in a very short time. The call of wild ass is shriller than that of domestic donkey. The life span is 20 to 25 years.

Wildlife Sanctuaries in West India
Anerdam Wildlife Sanctuary	Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary
Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary	Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary
Bor Wildlife Sanctuary	Chaprala Wildlife Sanctuary
Chikhaladara Wildlife Sanctuary	Cotigoa Wildlife Sanctuary
Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary	Malvan Marine Sanctuary
Marine Sanctuary and Marine National Park	Nagzira Wldlife Sanctuary
Ratanmahal and Jessore Sloth Bear Sanctuary	Narayan Sarovar Chinkara Sanctuary
Nayagaon Mayur Sanctuary	Phansad Wildlife Sanctuary
Sagareshwar Sanctuary	Shoolpaneshwar Wildlife Sanctuary
Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary	Thol Wildlife Sanctuary
Tipeshwar Sanctuary	Wan Sanctuary
Wild Ass Sanctuary	Yawal Sanctuary
Dajipur Bison Sanctuary	Kalasubai Harishchandragad
Katepurna Sanctuary	Peshwe Udyan
Radhanagri Wildlife Sanctuary	Jijamata Udayan Zoo