The
African wild ass or
African wild donkey (
Equus africanus) is a wild member of the
horse family,
Equidae. This species is believed to be the ancestor of the domestic
donkey, which is usually placed within the same species. They live in the
deserts and other
arid areas of the
Horn of Africa, in
Eritrea,
Ethiopia and
Somalia. It formerly had a wider range north and west into
Sudan,
Egypt, and
Libya. About 570 individuals exist in the wild.