TEHRAN, Aug. 01 (MNA) – The Persian onager, also called the Persian wild ass or Persian zebra is a subspecies of onager native to Iran.
It is listed as Endangered, with no more than 600 individuals left in the wild and only 30 individuals living within North American institutions.
Persian wild asses are known to inhabit mountain steppes, semidesert, or desert plains. They are usually found in desert steppes. Their largest population is found in Khar Turan National Park.
Persian onager breeding site in the Gurab area of Mehriz city in Yazd province has been set up for many years to be the savior of this rare species. The number of Persian onagers has now reached 46, five of which are kept on the enclosed site of Gurab.