Chester Zoo Welcomes Birth of ’One of World's Rarest Animals’
General News
Wednesday 7th, August 2024
Chester Zoo has announced the birth of a Persian onager, one of the world's most endangered animals, offering a much needed boost to global conservation efforts. The foal, named Jasper, was born to mother Azita following a year long pregnancy. The zoo, located in Cheshire, UK, shared the news with a mixture of excitement and caution, given the onager's precarious status in the wild.
The Persian onager, a species closely related to domestic donkeys, is native to the semi-desert regions of Iran. The population of this rare wild ass has been in steep decline, with fewer than 600 individuals surviving in the wild, restricted to just two small protected areas in Iran.
The onager's plight has been exacerbated by illegal poaching, habitat destruction due to overgrazing, prolonged droughts, and diseases transmitted from domesticated animals. Over the past two decades, the species' numbers have fallen by more than 50%, pushing it to the brink of extinction. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has classified the Persian onager as endangered, highlighting the urgent need for conservation action.
Mike Jordan, Chester Zoo's Animal and Plant Director, expressed the team's joy at Jasper's arrival, stating, "We are delighted with the birth of Jasper. He’s full of energy and enjoys playfully kicking up sand as he races around his habitat. Mum Azita is doing a fantastic job of nurturing and bonding with her new charge".
The birth of Jasper is seen as a significant step towards the survival of the species, with Mr Jordan adding, "With numbers having declined so rapidly in the wild, and the species now teetering on the edge of existence in Iran, it’s sadly very possible that onagers could become extinct in the wild within our lifetime".
The Persian onager once roamed extensively across the deserts of Mongolia, China, and Iran, but today, their presence in the wild has been severely diminished. Conservationists at Chester Zoo and elsewhere are now focused on breeding programmes to ensure the survival of this rare species.
Chester Zoo, renowned for its conservation work, is home to a small group of Persian onagers. Jasper's birth is a welcome addition, with hopes that he will play a vital role in the ongoing efforts to safeguard the species from extinction.
The Persian onager, a species closely related to domestic donkeys, is native to the semi-desert regions of Iran. The population of this rare wild ass has been in steep decline, with fewer than 600 individuals surviving in the wild, restricted to just two small protected areas in Iran.
The onager's plight has been exacerbated by illegal poaching, habitat destruction due to overgrazing, prolonged droughts, and diseases transmitted from domesticated animals. Over the past two decades, the species' numbers have fallen by more than 50%, pushing it to the brink of extinction. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has classified the Persian onager as endangered, highlighting the urgent need for conservation action.
Mike Jordan, Chester Zoo's Animal and Plant Director, expressed the team's joy at Jasper's arrival, stating, "We are delighted with the birth of Jasper. He’s full of energy and enjoys playfully kicking up sand as he races around his habitat. Mum Azita is doing a fantastic job of nurturing and bonding with her new charge".
The birth of Jasper is seen as a significant step towards the survival of the species, with Mr Jordan adding, "With numbers having declined so rapidly in the wild, and the species now teetering on the edge of existence in Iran, it’s sadly very possible that onagers could become extinct in the wild within our lifetime".
The Persian onager once roamed extensively across the deserts of Mongolia, China, and Iran, but today, their presence in the wild has been severely diminished. Conservationists at Chester Zoo and elsewhere are now focused on breeding programmes to ensure the survival of this rare species.
Chester Zoo, renowned for its conservation work, is home to a small group of Persian onagers. Jasper's birth is a welcome addition, with hopes that he will play a vital role in the ongoing efforts to safeguard the species from extinction.
