Rare Indian Wild Ass

The Wild Ass Sanctuary is located in the Little Rann of Kutch in Gujarat. Spread over 4954 km², it is the largest wildlife sanctuary in India   and was established in 1972 . The sanctuary is one of the last places on earth where the endangered wild ass sub-species Indian Wild Ass (Khur) (Equus hemionus khur) belonging to Asiatic Wild Ass species Onager (Equus hemionus) can be spotted.

The Rann of Kutch is a saline desert. During monsoon, the Rann (Gujarati for desert) gets flooded for a period of about one month and is dotted with about 74 elevated plateaus or islands, locally called 'bets'. These bets are covered with grass and feed the population of around 2100 animals     (wiki)

Eventually we found this place - positively no signs to it from anywhere but stopping to ask rickshaw drivers every so often proved we were getting near.  Couldn't believe how lucky we were to see them beside the road and to be able to take lots of pics.  Herdsmen with large numbers of cattle followed us up the road and the ass suddenly took it into their heads to cross the road through the sedately ambling cows - mayhem - everyone scattering and one ass actually slipping over.

Wonderful drive again through very fertile fields in many places growing , coriander, wheat, cumin, fennel, onions (all for seed), chickpeas, dal, castor (for medicines, soaps and furniture wax), cotton, eucalyptus plantations  (for making scaffolding poles), banyan trees (for shade) and all along the meridians of the dual carriageways instead of a metal barrier  bougainvilleae and oleander bloomed.  In the towns there were huge businesses manufacturing LED light bulbs, noodles, cotton being packaged or woven, Tata Nano cars, wind farms and massive electricity stations, cement, clay roof tiles, ceramic tiles for flooring and walls (a massive export to Germany)  and western and asian sanitary ware ... Everywhere little temples showed their tops and there were so many beautiful new ones being built with the most fantastic carvings in the yellow sandstone.

On the roadsides were exhortations from the Transport Authority   'Alert today, Alive tomorrow'  'Life is precious - better late than never'  'Drive carefully - your loved ones await'

We are now in the Asiatic Lion Sanctuary - watch this space!