page_title: Persian onager
section_title: Taxonomy and history
hierarchical_section_title: Persian onager / Taxonomy and history
caption_attribution_description: English: Fig. 125.—Asiatic Wild Ass. Equus onager. × 1⁄20. Now treated as a subspecies of E. hemionus.
context_page_description: The Persian onager, also called the Persian wild ass or Persian zebra, is a subspecies of onager native to Iran. It is listed as Endangered, with no more than 600 individuals left in the wild and only 30 individuals living within North American institutions.
context_section_description: The Persian onager is also simply named gur (گور) meaning "zebra" in Persian. "Onager" is from the Greek ὄναγρος (onagros), meaning "wild ass". 
  Sometimes, the term "onager" is reserved specifically for this subspecies. However, as the whole species of the Asiatic wild ass is known simply as onager, it now also serves as the Persian wild ass's scientific name, as well (Equus hemionus onager). Information on the basic biology of the subspecies and how it differs from others is lacking, which hampers conservation efforts.
  Onagers used to be numerous from the Middle East to China. However, until the 19th century, their population has been reduced from several thousand to a few thousand. Currently, more than 600 Persian onagers are living in the wild.
caption: A drawing of a Persian onager.
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