Asiatic wild ass returns to eastern mongolia after 65-year absence

Ulaanbaatar: The Asiatic wild ass, known locally as the khulan (Equus hemionus), has returned to eastern Mongolia and is showing clear signs of re-establishing a population after more than 65 years of absence from the region.

For decades, fencing along the Trans-Mongolian Railway (TMR) has restricted movement of khulan and other migratory species. Recent efforts to create safe crossing points are now allowing animals to move more freely across this barrier and recolonize their ancestral lands.

Collaborative efforts between the Wildlife Conservation Society, the Mongolian government, and in-country private partners have seen fencing taken down along several stretches of the railway. A monitored “safe passage” zone near the China–Mongolia border was also designated last May, free of fencing.

Findings published this month in the journal Oryx show that the interventions are working. Khulan are now regularly present in multiple groups east of the TMR.

Monitoring shows that crossings occurred in recent years, and follow-up surveys have since recorded hundreds of khulan on the eastern side. This suggests that the animals are not only passing through, but beginning to re-establish in the region.