Oneger, the world's rarest horse foal, was born at Chester Zoo in England this year. A relative of the domestic donkey, the animal is an Asiatic wild donkey that lives in semi-desert areas.
The cub, named Jasper, was born to his mother Ashita after a year-long pregnancy. Of Persian origin, his name means “bearer of treasures”.
There are few species of wild donkeys, although they are found in abundance in the deserts of Mongolia, China and Iran. The animals were the targets of illegal hunting, overgrazing, drought and disease, causing donkey numbers to decline. Currently, only 600 animals remain in the wild.
“The long-legged youngster, named Jasper by our team, is doing great and mom Ajita is doing a wonderful job nurturing and bonding with his new charge. He is full of energy and loves to play kicking sand as he runs around his habitat,” said Mike Jordan, the zoo's director of animals and plants.
As there are few animals in the world, this species is listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). These are some of the most dangerous animals in the world.
