Kulan (Asiatic wild ass)

In Kazakhstan, the Asiatic wild ass was driven to extinction in the wild in the 1930s, the result of overhunting and competition with livestock for pastures. A reintroduction program launched in the mid-20th century, bringing 14 kulan from Turkmenistan to the Barsa-Kelmes Nature Reserve, located on an island in the Aral Sea, between 1953 and 1961. Once the population on the island reached 200 individuals, the next stage began—transfer of kulans to the mainland. During this stage, these equids arrived at Altyn-Emel National Park in eastern Kazakhstan, where they multiplied. Today, Kazakhstan’s two large kulan populations are still found at these sites.

As part of ongoing efforts to increase kulan populations in Kazakhstan, a group of ungulates was relocated to the Altyn Dala and Ili-Balkhash nature reserves in October 2024.

The greatest threat to the kulan, particularly in Mongolia and Turkmenistan, is illegal hunting for their meat and skin.

Habitat loss and fragmentation, particularly from linear infrastructure, are also driving population declines. Barriers and border infrastructure along the China-Mongolia border directly squeeze population, restricting the kulan’s movements and limiting its range. Human settlements such as herder camps that restrict access to oases (kulan are highly dependent on water) and extractive industries (mining), degrade the species’ habitat.

Competition with domestic livestock and with humans (crop depredation) also poses a threat to the equids.

National and international initiatives are working to safeguard the kulan through legislative and regulatory measures. The species is legally protected in Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Turkmenistan, Iran, and India.

The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), Appendix II (comprising species that are not yet threatened with extinction but may become so), lists the kulan. It is also covered by the Central Asian Mammals Initiative, a CMS strategic framework for action to protect migratory mammals and their habitat in the region.

Reintroduction projects for the kulan are underway in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, Ukraine, Israel, and Saudi Arabia.

Additional research is required to address knowledge gaps about the kulan, in order to understand the threats they face. A large blank spot is their population status and distribution within China. Increased knowledge about the species’ basic behavior and ecology would especially benefit the management of subpopulations in Turkmenistan and in Iran.

With a large population of khulan in Mongolia, the government uses an array of approaches to safeguard ungulates, using an array of approaches to do so. In 1999, Mongolia created two protected areas—Great Gobi Section B Strictly Protected Area (Dzungarian Gobi Desert) and the Zagiin Us Nature Reserve (Northern Gobi)—specifically for the conservation of the khulan.

In 2024 the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change designated October 25 as Khulan Conservation Day, aiming to spotlight the wild ass as a keystone species in the Gobi-Steppe ecosystem and its critical role in maintaining ecological integrity and biodiversity.

Other khulan conservation efforts include enhanced enforcement of legislative measures, introduction of public awareness campaigns and educational programs, performing additional research on population numbers, habitat use and migration; and stronger cooperation between Mongolia and China to protect the species