The Survivors of Rann

The Rann of Kutch is the only place left in the world for this beautiful endangered species of Wild Asses. Once at the near brink of extinction, their numbers are now ranging around a few thousand due to conscious conservation efforts.

Though the name suggests that they are donkeys, you'd be amazed to see how graceful these animals can be. They're known to be really fast runners and can easily attain greater than 60kph speeds. It's a treat to watch them run on the parched Rann.

Like any other endangered species, it's illegal to hunt or harm them but it's also illegal to chase them in the Rann. Given the secure environment provided by the wildlife protection act, their numbers are steadily increasing and you can now see them in places across the Greater Rann too. The "Kiangs" or the Tibetan Wild Asses are also related to the Asiatic Wild Asses but they're much bigger in size and can almost be considerd at equals with a horse.

Here's an Asiatic Wild Ass posing in the evening light:

Tech Specs
Canon 1D Mark IV + Canon 600mm F4 L IS with a 1.4x TC
Shot at 840mm, 1/160s, F8 and ISO 200