Rare Persian Onager Foal Born at the Smithsonian

Posted on September 9, 2011

A rare Persian onager was born at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Va., Wednesday, Sept. 7. The foal is now one of 26 onagers in captivity in North America.

The onager is a member of the Equidae (horse) family. The Smithsonian says there are only about 600 onagers remaining in two protected areas in Iran. The remaining animals are severely threatened by loss of desert habitat, poaching and competition with domestic livestock.

Smithsonian says the foal appears to be female, strong and healthy. In the wild, foals have a 50% mortality rate, but the mortality rate is lowed under human care - 24 percent for females and 38 percent for males.

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