The first Asian wild donkey is born in Saudi Arabia in more than 100 years

“Curious, full of energy, and playful.” This is how the leader of the animal care team at the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve, Nasser Ashour, described the rare Asian wild ass foal, whose birth was announced in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on June 1.

Ashour said in an interview with CNN Arabic that this birth “represents an important stage in preserving a rare and valuable species, especially since this is the first Asian wild donkey (onager) born and raised in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in more than 100 years.”

The reserve had explained when announcing the news that the male foal was born in June of 2025, but the birth was only revealed recently after he had successfully passed the first 12 months of his life, as the first year of a wild donkey’s life is considered the most critical, given that the survival rate does not exceed 50%.

Ashour explained that the little foal is in excellent health and clearly active, noting that it adapts well to its surroundings.

He also confirmed that monitoring his growth and development day after day was a special experience for him personally, pointing out some of the funny and notable moments he witnessed while watching him.

He said: “One of the most unforgettable scenes is seeing him following his mother closely and trying to imitate her movements, for example by accompanying her around the barn, observing the way she moves, and learning from her daily routine how to eat, rest, and be alert.”

He added that the bond between him and his mother is “very strong,” as he remains close to her most of the time, which is extremely important at this early stage of his life, even though he no longer depends on breastfeeding from his mother (the foal reached the weaning stage when it reached about 8 months).

However, the team began to notice signs of his increasing confidence, as he began to explore the surrounding area on his own more.

Ashour pointed out that they are looking forward to acquiring more of his natural behaviors, such as eating alone, away from his mother, as well as interacting and playing with the herd even when his mother is at a distance from him.