WILDLIFE DISCOVERY : The curious horse-like Kiang

The kiang (Equus kiang) is the largest of all the wild asses. This equine lives in the Tibetan Plateau and in northern Nepal. Other common names for this species include Tibetan wild ass, khyang, and gorkhar. The Kiang looks like a domestic horse but it has a large head, with a blunt muzzle and a convex nose. Its black mane is upright and relatively short. Its coat is a rich chestnut colour, but turns into darker brown in winter and reddish brown in late summer. When it’s hot, it molts its woolly fur which later grows again. Kiang is the name given by the Tibetans to the wild horse. The Kiang is an ordinary horse, except for its tufted tail. It is a powerful animal, and it is extraordinarily active. It is never seen single, but always in twos or threes, if not in a herd of sixty or seventy. The kiang behaves in an interesting way when it sees people. It has a curious habit of turning round and round. Even a mile and a quarter away, it will commence this turning round at every short stage of its approach, and after each turn it will stop for a while, to look at the man over its own back, like a fox. Ultimately it comes up quite close. When quite near it will look scared, and at the slightest thing will wheel round and dash away, but only to stop and look back. When one thinks it has run far away, it will be found that it has circled back quite near, to take, a silent survey of the stranger from behind. Altogether it is an animal of very queer habits. The Kiangs only real predator other than humans is the wolf. When moving in herds, Kiangs defend themselves by forming a circle, and with their heads down, they kick out violently. As a result wolves usually attack single animals that have strayed from the group. Generally Kiangs are curious, strange and gentle animals. Ends