Safeguarding the Khur: how Gujarat shields its wild ass from disease

The salt-crusted flats of the Rann of Kutch stretch across the western edge of Gujarat, forming one of the most unusual landscapes on Earth. Within this harsh, shimmering terrain roams an animal found nowhere else in the world: the Indian wild ass, locally known as the khur. Once reduced to a few hundred individuals, this subspecies of the Asiatic wild ass has slowly clawed its way back to a population of several thousand, thanks to decades of dedicated conservation. Yet every gain is shadowed by a persistent threat: infectious disease, which can sweep through closely gathered herds with devastating speed.

Outbreaks of trypanosomiasis, African horse sickness, and equine influenza have periodically struck wild equid populations worldwide, often leaving lasting damage to small, isolated groups. For the khur, whose range is largely confined to a single district, such an event could reverse decades of recovery within a single season. Conservationists in Gujarat have responded with a layered strategy that combines veterinary science, habitat engineering, and the steady involvement of local communities who share the land with these animals.

Australian readers may recognise a parallel. Across the red centre and the high country of New South Wales, feral horses and donkeys pose ecological challenges that sometimes require equally creative responses. In Kosciuszko National Park, debate over aerial culling and fertility control has shaped policy under the national Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, while in the Kimberley, communities manage donkey populations that affect pastoral lands. Researchers at the University of Melbourne have also studied trypanosomiasis in feral donkeys, and their findings inform work in similar dryland systems abroad, including the Rann.

A creature of the salt flats

The Indian wild ass stands roughly 1.2 metres tall, with a sandy coat that fades almost to white in summer. It is built for endurance, capable of covering long distances in search of forage and water across the Little Rann, where temperatures can exceed 45 degrees Celsius. The Wild Ass Sanctuary, established in 1972, protects a large portion of this habitat, but the animals are not confined by park boundaries. They move freely across the salt pan, agricultural land, and even the edges of the industrial corridor near Kutch.

This mobility is both a survival strategy and a vulnerability. When the monsoon fails, herds venture further in search of water, crossing roads and fields, which brings them into contact with livestock. That interface is where pathogens often pass from domestic donkeys, horses, or cattle into the wild population. The Gujarat Forest Department, working alongside the state veterinary network, has mapped these movement corridors to predict where contact risks are highest.

The animals' dependence on a handful of freshwater points makes them especially exposed during dry years. A 2022 review highlighted how abandoned quarries could be repurposed for artificial recharge, a technique that holds promise for stabilising groundwater sources within and around the wild ass range.

The diseases that lurk in the herd

Among the most feared illnesses is surra, caused by the parasite Trypanosoma evansi, which is transmitted by biting flies. Symptoms include fever, weakness, and progressive anaemia, and untreated animals often die. The disease is endemic across South Asia, and outbreaks in captive or working equids happen regularly. African horse sickness, though not yet recorded in Gujarat, remains a constant concern given the movement of vectors and animals across borders. Equine influenza and glanders round out the list of pathogens that keep wildlife veterinarians busy.

What makes outbreak response so difficult in the Rann is the scale and remoteness of the terrain. A sick animal may not be observed for days, and the dense swarms of tabanid flies that thrive after the monsoon can spread infection before symptoms are even noticed. The state has invested in rapid diagnostic capacity, including mobile veterinary units that can reach sick or dead animals quickly, collect samples, and relay them to laboratories in Ahmedabad or Rajkot.

Vaccination drives and veterinary surveillance

Annual vaccination campaigns form the backbone of Gujarat's preventive strategy. Teams of veterinarians and forest staff visit pastoral settlements and salt workers' camps within the wild ass range, vaccinating domestic donkeys and horses against equine influenza and other common pathogens. By reducing the disease load in livestock, the program lowers the chance of spillover into wild herds. This approach mirrors biosecurity thinking familiar to Australian pastoralists in the Northern Territory, who manage similar risks around station horses and brumbies.

Surveillance has also become more sophisticated. Camera traps, satellite-collared individuals, and a network of community reporters now feed into a central database. When an unusual mortality event occurs, field teams can respond within hours, isolating the area, collecting samples, and, if necessary, providing supportive care to visibly sick animals. The aim is not to handle wild khur routinely but to catch outbreaks early enough to allow natural immunity to take hold.

Habitat management and water security

Habitat work goes hand in hand with veterinary care. The forest department has deepened existing water holes, created new ones in strategic locations, and restored vegetation in key breeding areas. During severe droughts, supplementary water is provided through tankers, a measure that also benefits the pastoral communities sharing the landscape. These interventions echo approaches used in parts of western Queensland, where managed water points are critical for both livestock and native wildlife during prolonged dry spells.

A broader ecological view recognises that the wild ass is part of a wider web of life in the Rann, sharing its range with chinkara, desert fox, and a host of migratory birds. The survival of the khur depends on keeping these connections intact. Initiatives to strengthen ecological networks elsewhere in Gujarat, such as efforts to create Gir's habitat corridors, offer a model that may eventually be applied to other wide-ranging species in the state.

Working with local communities

No conservation program in the Rann can succeed without the cooperation of the Agariya salt workers, Maldhari pastoralists, and villagers who call this region home. These communities have lived alongside the khur for generations, and their knowledge of animal behaviour, water locations, and seasonal patterns is invaluable. The forest department runs a network of community-based monitors who report sick or dead animals, illegal encroachments, and changes in herd movement.

Compensation schemes for crop damage caused by wild asses have helped reduce conflict, while eco-development funds support schools, health centres, and livestock vaccination drives. This integrated approach is not unlike community-led feral animal management programs in regional South Australia, where landholders, local councils, and the state government coordinate to balance production with biodiversity outcomes.

Research, technology, and what comes next

The next phase of protection will rely heavily on science. Partnerships with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, the Wildlife Institute of India, and international institutions are building a deeper understanding of khur genetics, disease ecology, and climate resilience. Researchers are exploring whether genetic diversity has narrowed to a point where the population is more vulnerable to certain pathogens, and whether managed relocation might be needed to spread risk.

Regional cooperation is also growing. The Narmada river basin and its catchments, described in recent work on Narmada basin biodiversity, form part of a larger hydrological network that ultimately influences the Rann. A coordinated approach that considers water flow, wetland health, and migratory pathways could strengthen the resilience of the wild ass and the many other species that depend on this landscape.

The wild ass sanctuary and its surroundings are dynamic, shaped by industry, agriculture, climate, and culture. Protecting a species that shares its home with all of these is a long-term commitment. Continued investment in veterinary infrastructure, habitat restoration, and community partnerships will determine whether the khur remains a living symbol of Gujarat's wild spirit or becomes a memory of a landscape that once held it.

Visit wildlife health monitoring resources to explore current research and field reports on disease surveillance across India's dryland ecosystems, and see how citizens and scientists are working together to keep these fragile populations secure.