Grazing and galloping their way through the alpine grasslands and vast plateaus of Ladakh, Tibetan wild asses or kiangs are sturdy, graceful creatures that herd together to defend themselves
Text by: Amrita Das
Grazing and galloping their way through the alpine grasslands and vast plateaus of Ladakh, Tibetan wild asses or kiangs are sturdy, graceful creatures that herd together to defend themselves
Driving through the trans-Himalayan region of Ladakh, mammals that resemble horses can be seen grazing all over the rolling high-altitude plains. On closer examination however, they look like donkeys. Unlike horses, they have a short, upright dark-brown mane, and in size, they seem much larger than most donkeys. Their ears are bigger than both donkeys and horses, and have black tips. These stately creatures are Tibetan wild asses or kiangs (Equus kiang), the largest wild ass species in the world. Like horses and donkeys, they belong to the Equidae family.
There are two species of wild ass in India: Tibetan wild ass and Indian wild ass. The Indian wild ass or khur (Equus hemionus khur) is found mainly in the Little Rann of Kachchh (Kutch) in Gujarat, with scattered populations in other parts of the Greater Rann, and also of late in western Rajasthan. Tibetan wild ass or kiang is found in the high-altitude trans-Himalaya. In India they live mainly in Ladakh and north Sikkim, at elevations of 2,700 to 5,400 m, though some were recently reported from Uttarakhand as well. Kiangs are much larger than their khur cousins, some standing up to 1.4 m tall at the shoulder and weighing up to 400 kilos. Khur are at least 20 cm shorter and approximately half the weight.
Kiangs have a dark, chestnut-brown back, and white underside that stretches from the neck through the belly to the rump. Their coat changes seasonally, becoming darker and thicker in the winter. Their tails are about 50 cm long, with a large tail tuft. Photo: Dhritiman Mukherjee Cover photo: Dhritiman Mukherjee
The kiang is one of many wild ungulates that live at high altitudes in the Himalayas. Ungulates are hooved mammals, and kiangs, like horses and donkeys, are odd-toed ungulates. Their hooves are rounded and broad and black in colour, with cushions that act like shock absorbers. Photo: Dhritiman Mukherjee
As equids, kiangs are natural grazers that prefer living in alpine grasslands and steppes, but also occupy more arid habitats. They spend most of the day foraging on the vast grassy plains, primarily feeding on grasses and sedges. In the dry seasons, herds of kiang may travel great distances looking for food. In some areas they are also known to be nocturnal grazers. Photo: Saurabh Sawant
Tibetan wild asses dominate Ladakh’s landscape, favouring wide open areas. They are sturdy yet graceful creatures, with broad shoulders, strong legs, and an agile gallop. Like all wild animals, kiangs have a healthy wariness of humans. Stallions can sometimes be curious and watch humans they encounter, but from a comfortable distance. Females with foals are more skittish and likely to trot off when humans get to within 100 m of them. Photo: Saurabh Sawant
Kiangs live in cohesive family groups that eat, live, and travel together. Family groups form herds that can range from 5-400 individuals. On the Tibetan Plateau, up to 500 animals have been recorded in one herd. Groups usually consist of females, foals, and young males, led by an older female. The breeding season for these ungulates is from June to September and foals are born after a gestation period of 10 months (299 days). On average, a kiang will deliver one offspring. Foals are able to get up and run soon after birth. Photo: Dhritiman Mukherjee
Male kiangs tend to live solitary lives, but they do form all-male herds during the winter. During breeding season, females form larger herds, and the males follow them, fighting for rights to mate. As the season progresses the males round up small harems that they will aggressively defend from other males. Photo: Dhritiman Mukherjee
Kiangs are largely quiet animals. When they sense danger however, they will let out a short, loud snort. During breeding season or territorial fights, they may occasionally bray loudly. When they run at full speed, they make the distinct equine galloping sound, and leave a cloud of dust in their wake. Photo: Dhritiman Mukherjee
Kiangs are strong swimmers. With their athletic build, they are able to cross rivers with ease when moving from one grazing area to another. During the summer, kiangs frequently swim and bathe in Ladakh’s waterbodies. Photo: Dhritiman Mukherjee
Kiangs coexist with other ungulates. Their herd mentality is a defence mechanism against their primary natural predators — wolves. Wolves tend to spot and target the lone male or a defenceless foal. Every kiang group’s defence is to form a tight circle and kick profusely when attacked. Photo: Dhritiman Mukherjee
Although they are listed on Schedule I, Part I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972, the kiangs of Ladakh face various threats. In India, they are not hunted anymore, but in the 1900s they were — for their meat, and to make leather products from their skin. Today, they must compete with domestic livestock for grazing pastures, with some areas now fenced off and inaccessible to them. More and more livestock share the kiang’s traditional pastures and water sources. Apart from this, livestock are carriers of diseases that can devastate wild equid populations. The other threat to kiang populations is the increase in free-ranging stray dogs, which hunt in packs, and think nothing of attacking an animal much larger than themselves. They have been known to take down a solidary kiang. Photo: Dhritiman Mukherjee
is the photo editor at Roundglass Sustain. When not at work, she invests her time travelling and hiking, in creative pursuits, reading and learning a new skill.
