Kalameili Nature Reserve

Kalameili Nature Reserve

Kalameili Nature Reserve is one of the largest nature reserves for ungulate wildlife in China. Established in April 1982, it covers an area of approximately 17,000 square kilometers and primarily protects hoofed animals such as wild horses, Mongolian wild asses, argali (also known as Marco Polo sheep), and goitered gazelles. There are currently around 3,000 wild asses and about 30,000 goitered gazelles. Wildlife mostly comes out in herds to forage and drink during early mornings or dusk, but you might spot them at noon if you're lucky.

This is the only habitat in China where Mongolian wild asses are found. There are two types of wild asses in China: the Mongolian wild ass and the Tibetan wild ass. The Mongolian wild ass is larger than a domestic donkey but smaller than the Tibetan wild ass, standing about 1.2 meters tall and measuring 1.7 to 2 meters in length. They give birth once a year, usually between June and July. The Mongolian wild ass has three unique behavioral traits. First, during the mating season, only the dominant male in each herd has breeding rights — essentially enjoying “a harem of 360 concubines” — while the other males who lose the competition are driven out of the group. Some say this behavior is one reason for the slow population growth of wild asses, and artificial breeding has been suggested. Second, young female asses are ruthlessly driven away once they mature, whereas mature females from outside the group are welcomed. The driven-out young females are quickly accepted by other herds, a trait that helps prevent inbreeding. Third, when Mongolian wild asses encounter moving vehicles, they often enjoy running alongside them in parallel.