TEHRAN – Effective measures have been taken to protect the population of endangered Persian zebras so that 42 zebras have so far been reproduced in captivity.

The Persian onager, also called Persian zebra, is a subspecies of onager native to Iran. It is listed as Endangered, with no more than 1000 individuals left in the wild and only 30 individuals living within North American institutions.

Persian onagers are known to inhabit mountain steppes, semidesert, or desert plains. They are usually found in desert steppes. Their largest population is found in Khar Turan National Park. 

The Persian onager, also called Persian zebra is listed as endangered by IUCN Red List, as it is close to extinction. The Persian onager is listed as endangered by IUCN Red List, as it is close to extinction. Currently, poaching for meat and hides, competition with livestock, and drought are the greatest threats to this species. Asiatic zebras are highly and legally protected; hunting them is forbidden.

In recent years, due to the measures are taken by the Department of Environment (DOE) to conserve Persian zebra, the population of this species in breeding sites has had a favorable growth.

In 2017, 10 zebras were transferred to Touran National Park that 5 of which died on the way, and also the same year, 5 other zebras were transferred to the Kavir National Park."

Currently, 42 Persian zebras are living in breeding centers in Yazd, Alborz, Semnan, Fars, Kerman, and Tehran provinces, which are also in good condition, Gholamreza Ebdali, Head of wildlife protection and management office of the DOE said.

“We intend to transfer a number of the species from Kerman province to the Kavir National Park site located in Semnan. In the provinces of Fars, Yazd, and Kerman, we are also locating new centers for the protection of this species,” he explained.

Breeding in captivity is done for endangered species and on the IUCN red list, such as Asiatic cheetah, Persian zebra, and fallow deer, he added.

According to the IUCN, at least 40 percent of animals, insects, and plants are at risk of extinction across the world.

Currently, more than 41 percent of amphibians, 26 percent of mammals, 21 percent of reptiles, and 13 percent of birds are threatened. In the latest statistics, the number of endangered species in the country is 75 vertebrate species (18 species of mammals, 29 species of birds, 4 species of amphibians, and 16 species of reptiles) on the IUCN Red List.

Iran has a high diversity of species due to geographical conditions, climatic diversity, huge water resources of the Caspian Sea in the north and the Persian Gulf, and the Sea of Oman in the south.

According to the latest studies, about 1,300 species of vertebrates, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and aquatic fish, about 30,000 species of invertebrates, and 8,000 species of plants have been identified in the country.

Unfortunately, over the past two decades, human activities have led to alarming degradation of ecosystems, deletion of genes, species, and biological capabilities; Human threats to biodiversity have accelerated the most over the past 50 years over the entire history of human life.

FB/MG