Birth of endangered Somali Wild Ass offers hope for the species

The birth of a Somali Wild Ass foal was celebrated by a zoo in Chile as a significant development for the conservation of a critically endangered species.

The rare kind of baby donkey was born last week, as reported by Reuters. There are fewer than 200 mature individuals remaining worldwide, with drastic decline in populations attributed to habitat loss and hunting for consumption or traditional medicinal purposes.

The Buin Zoo, located in the outskirts of Santiago, is actively participating in an international endeavor aimed at revitalizing the Somali Wild Ass population, which has been classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The founder and director of the Buin Zoo expressed immense joy in sharing the news. He remarked, “It’s great news for the conservation of a wild donkey that is vanishing from the face of the Earth, and we have the capability to breed it here, at the edge of the world, in Chile.”

The recent arrival of the foal marks the fifth specimen of its kind at the zoo.