Onager of roads, railway lines, and fences required to support mining activities. The Asiatic wild ass is vulnerable to diseases, as well. A disease known as the "South African horse sickness" caused a major decline to the Indian wild ass population in the 1960s. However, the subspecies is no longer under threat to such disease and is continuously increasing in number. Various breeding programs have been started for the onager subspecies in captivity and in the wild, which increases their numbers to save the endangered species. The species is legally protected in many of the countries in which it occurs. The
Onager seen feeding on seed pods such as "Prosopis" and breaking up woody vegetation with their hooves to get at more succulent herbs growing at the base of woody plants. During the winter, onagers also eat snow as a substitute for water. When natural water sources are unavailable, the onager digs holes in dry riverbeds to access subsurface water. The water holes dug by the onagers are often subsequently visited by domestic livestock, as well as other wild animals. Water is also found in the plants on which the onagers feed. During spring and summer in Mongolia, the succulent plants of