Wild Horses!
Posted at 8:49 am May 20, 2009 by Lance Miller
Somali wild ass mare with her two-week-old foal
Please allow me to introduce myself (you can see I like the Rolling Stones!). My name is Lance Miller, and I just joined the San Diego Zoo’s Institute for Conservation Research as the new research coordinator within the Behavioral Biology Division. I recently graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi with a doctorate in experimental psychology. Before returning to graduate school, I was a research manager at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, where I conducted behavioral research on all sorts of species from tigers to elephants to sea turtles. With my experience and education, I hope to learn more about Somali wild asses and help to conserve this very endangered species.
Only a few hundred Somali wild ass are left in the wild, and the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park has one of the only breeding herds in the country. So what am I studying?
Here are some of the questions that I’ll be answering:
1. How do Somali wild asses spend their time? Just like people spend a different amount of time eating, sleeping, playing, exercising, etc., we want to find out how these animals spend their time. Studying the animals’ behavior will allow us to enrich their lives in managed care.
2. What factors cause certain animals to spend time with some animals but not others? Do you have a best friend? Perhaps someone that you don’t enjoy spending a lot of time with? This is probably similar to the animals. Examining the amount of time certain animals spend close to one another will help us determine which animals are “friends” and which animals tend to stay further apart.
3. When do Somali wild asses grow up? Just like people, the Somali wild asses have different stages of development (infant, juvenile, adult, etc.). However, we do not know at what ages these changes take place. Studying the animals’ hormones and behavior will help us to answer this question.
By answering the three questions above we can determine when it is appropriate to have an adult male in the group for breeding, how many animals (male or female) should be grouped together, and at what age a female Somali wild ass can become a mother. The more we learn the more we can help conserve this rare animal.
Unfortunately for now, the Somali wild asses are currently in an exhibit that is not visible to the visiting public. But the good news is there are plans to build a new exhibit where these animals will be out for everyone to see! Check back later this summer for an update on my progress, and hopefully by the end of summer you will have a chance to see this amazing species out in their new exhibit at the Wild Animal Park!
Lance Miller is a research coordinator at the San Diego Zoo’s Institute for Conservation Research.
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May 20th, 2009 at 9:25 am
It’s great to have you posting on the SDZ blogs. Thank you for introducing us to this rare animal species. They look quite unusual with their striped legs. It sounds like you are almost starting from scratch in collecting information and data since so little is known about them and that must be quite exciting! I look forward to hearing about what you learn from your unusual research subjects in the coming months.
Do these animals interact much with humans as far as training is concerned? If so, are they easily trained, are they eager to participate in training, etc.? Sorry if I’m jumping the gun…One of my favorite things to learn here is how the different animals learn behaviors that reduce stress and enhance their experience at the zoo. I’m always amazed by the innovative techniques that keepers and trainers devise for individual animals and species.
May 20th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
Melissa,
Thank you for your response and questions! It is interesting that you should ask about reducing stress, as one of the other goals of the study is to examine the move to the new exhibit (once it is complete). Is moving to a new exhibit stressful for the animals? Is there anything we can do to alleviate stress? Before and after the move we will be looking closely at hormones and behavior to ensure we can learn all about providing the highest level of care for the animals here at the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park.
May 24th, 2009 at 7:44 am
this is very interesting! on our ride in the country which we do alot, there is a farm that has alot of exotic and unusual animals for this neck of the woods! ( Michigan ) we have seen an animal that we thought was cross bred with a zebra!!! it looks just like the somalli wild ass!! if they are so endangered, I wonder how they are able to possess one. although, the last couple times we passed by, we didn’t see it. if we see it again, I will try to get a picture of it and send it to you!! unusual to have stripes on it’s legs like a zebra which is also related to the horse. my husband doesn’t think the picture looks like yours. he said the one we saw has more stripes, like half and half. stripes covering the rear area and legs. I guess I will have to get a picture as I am now very courious!! I guess that is why people looking at something each see or remember something different!! wierd!! later!
Lance responds: It would be interesting to find out what animal you saw! There are actually a couple of different animals that have stripes similar to that of a zebra. Another off the top of my head is the okapi. However, I would be surprised if the animal you saw on a farm was an okapi or the Somali wild ass!
Here’s info about okapis: http://www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/t-okapi.html
May 25th, 2009 at 12:50 pm
Love the stripes on their legs! How much information, if any, is available on these animals in the wild?
Lance responds: Unfortunately, there is very little information available on them in the wild or within human care. The most recent survey for population estimates that I am aware of was conducted in the late 80s and early 90s. Clearly, more information is needed (population estimates, reproductive biology, behavioral ecology, etc.) in order to help conserve this amazing species!
May 26th, 2009 at 5:20 pm
For Nancy in Michigan – most likely what you saw was either a zorse (zebra-horse cross breed) or a zonkey (zebra-donkey cross breed) – just google zorse or zonkey to see pictures.
May 28th, 2009 at 7:17 am
I love seeing these magnificent creatures (and many others) at the Wild Animal Park — and at the Zoo to. I’ve heard they have some wild horses at the new Elephant Odyssey.
May 31st, 2009 at 12:19 pm
Interesting!
June 1st, 2009 at 7:56 am
Welcome Lance!!
When we used to ride the WAP’s ‘WGASA’ Bushline monorail we so enjoyed seeing the Somali wild ass!! They are incredibly strikingly beautiful. It is so good to hear that you will be studying them in order to learn how we can protect and preserve these awesome equines. And I look forward to all the information you will be able to pass on as the observations continue. You are envied by so many in your endeavors and we all Thank You for all that you share!!
Good luck in this venture, as it is so important to the future of these beautiful creatures.
Blessed Be with Love, judy j
June 7th, 2009 at 5:04 am
Zee-ass or zonkey gets the most credit.
What is that old breed of horses-donkeys from the mountainous area(old world) that does have good historical data on it and has been breed in captivity. Brevis breves or something along those lines its been a long time since I have seed one but they had been dometicated in I believe the France or Germany area of Europe.
Thanks- but really an okapi at a private reserve? Many AZA facilities are chomping at the bit for one.
!!!
June 15th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
njr_sd thanks for the added information about the zorse and the zonkey. I believe what we saw was a zorse! I wonder why people cross breed these animals. probably for the same reason people deliberately cross breed dogs. it probably happened accidently in the beginning! lol. now that I think of it, we had a cockapoo. ( part cocker & part poodle ) wonderful sweet dog that never shed! I wonder what kind of disposition the zorse & the zonkey have!
June 26th, 2009 at 7:19 pm
I love the Somali wild asses! But I am so angry that they are not on exhibit! I wish there were some way to see them, like in a special tour or something!
Jonah