What is a Kiang?

The Kiang is known as Equus Kiang, and is a part of the Equus genus, and they are native to the Tibetan Plateau, where they live at 4-7,000 meters elevation. They are the largest of all the wild asses and at one point were thought to be a subspecies of the Onager - but with recent molecular and genetic study have found to be their own species. It has a convex nose, a large head, an upright mane, and it is white with brown. There are three subspecies of the Kiang and are distributed in different areas, and have geographically distinct adaptations. The eastern Kiang is the largest subspecies, the southern Kiang is the smallest, and the eastern are in the middle with a darker coat. The entire species is considered to be un-threatened by man thus far, as its conservation status is “Least Concern” likely to the habitats it lives in and has adapted to - where human involvement is sparse and contact is intermittent due to the elevations they live at.

They live in herds and never scatter themselves, and are usually led by an old mare. They are a synchronized species as they seem to do everything at the exact same time and on time, walking single file, eating and drinking, along with turning at the same time. They do not groom each other and males usually are a solitary roamer, following packs only in mating seasons. An unusual quality about the Kiang is that they are very good at swimming. There inly predator is the wolf, and they usually are in maternal herds of five to four hundred, males are mostly solitary unless they band together in winter in what are called bachelor herds, and it is unusual to see more than ten in one of these herds.

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