Key Business Priorities in a Dynamic Global Economy
Context: The population of the Indian wild ass, an endangered species found mainly in the Little Rann of Kutch and the Great Rann of Kutch, has increased by 26.14% over the past four years (as per 10th Wild Ass Population Estimation, 2024).
Population Data:
| o Current population: 7,672 (up from 6,082 in 2020). o Protected under the Wildlife Protection Act. o Listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2008. |
Significance of the Study:
| o The increase comes as part of Wildlife Week (October 2–8) celebrations. o Apart from counting wild asses, enumerations were also made for species like: § Asian antelope § Indian gazelle § Blackbuck § Fox § Wolf |
Geographical Spread:
| o Historically found in North-West India, Pakistan, and Central Asia, but now confined to Gujarat. o Major population growth seen in Patan, Kutch, and Surendranagar districts. § Patan: 1,615 § Banaskantha: 1,097 § Morbi: 642 § Ahmedabad: 7 (declining). |
Conservation Measures:
| o Efforts by the Gujarat government have led to population recovery. o Wild Ass Population Estimation is carried out every 5 years. Direct Count Method used in the latest survey. |
Challenges:
- Some areas (Ahmedabad and Banaskantha) have seen a decline in wild ass numbers.
- The latest estimation covered 15,510 square kilometers and also focused on:
- Training forest officials on enumerating wild species using modern technology.
Implementing e-Guj forest module to track forest resources.
