A wild ass that lives on the Tibetan Plateau.
The kiang is the largest species among the wild asses.
Shiqu County in Sichuan lies at the eastern edge of the kiang’s Tibetan Plateau range. During surveys in July and August 2023, researchers walked 133 transects across alpine meadow, shrub, and wetland habitats and recorded 106 groups totalling 503 animals. The largest group had 48 animals. Group size tended to be greater farther from roads and grazing points.
The model mapped 3,402 km² of suitable habitat, 13.51% of Shiqu County. Patches were scattered around six townships, with larger continuous areas near Sichuan Changshagongma National Nature Reserve and Sexu. Estimated density was 0.41 animals/km² and the county total about 1,395. The main habitat predictors were distance from grazing sites, elevation, and annual temperature range.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
The 2023 Shiqu County study modelled suitable habitat across about 13.5% of the county in scattered patches and found larger groups farther from roads and grazing points. Local monitoring that records these distances and grassland connectivity could help track this peripheral group. No current global category, assessment date, or trend is included here.