From the 18th to the 30th of November 2009, Adiya (Bactrian Camel EDGE Fellow) and Henry (Steppe Forward Programme Co-ordinator) participated in the Mongolian ungulate survey organised by the Mongolian Academy of Science’s Institute of Biology, funded by the World Bank. The survey’s aim is to establish an estimate of ungulate numbers across the eastern and southern regions of Mongolia and especially of Mongolian gazelle (Procapra gutturosa), goitered gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa) and khulan (Equus hemionus).

We were assigned the Gobi-Altai province in the southwest of Mongolia, home to most of the Great Gobi A Strictly Protected Area. Strictly Protected Areas are designated by the Mongolian government as regions for the preservation of wildlife.  Herding and tourism are tightly controlled, and hunting and mining are prohibited. Although there are no Mongolian gazelle to be found here, there are plenty of goitered gazelle and khulan and is also the habitat of the wild Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus).

For most survey teams, the survey would be in the form of northerly transect lines, 30km apart. However, for our designated area the terrain is so rugged – vast uneven steppe with steep rocky outcrops hundreds of meters in elevation scattered across the landscape – that it would be impossible to conduct such a survey. We therefore used a combination of point count surveys on peaks for a good overview of the steppe habitat below where ungulates feed and also transect lines wherever possible. This revealed sparse but regular amounts of ungulates; mostly wild camels – sometimes in groups of more than ten – along with khulan, goitered gazelles and also Siberian ibex.

This distribution can be explained by the arrival of the winter season. Now that most of the Gobi is cold enough, the little moisture that falls as snow is immediately trapped on contact with the ground and blankets the landscape. This changes the location of wildlife dramatically as water is now available almost everywhere, although in solid state, and so ungulates do not need to rely on water points that are so vital to their survival in the summer months. As the saxaul plant (Haloxylon ammodendron) is also sparsely but widely distributed on the steppe habitat, ungulates can find food and water in all corners of the park. Saxaul conservation – which is used by herders and local people for firewood – is vital to the ungulates survival as it is their main food source.

Also November is the start of the breeding season for the wild Bactrian camel. Males are competing for females and starting to form herds, with the male generally at the back of the group to monitor the location of its members and guard from opportunistic young or feeble males who have not yet been able to form their own herd, if ever. We were lucky to find a number of these herds although they have not yet reached the size that they can extend to further into the winter season, some herds can rise to over a hundred individuals.

We hope that the results of all the survey teams will be analysed shortly so that we can all appreciate the best estimate so far of numbers of Mongolian gazelle, goitered gazelle and khulan in Mongolia. Hopefully more surveys like these will be made in the future to see how well ungulate populations are resisting to increasing threats such as climate change, overgrazing, poaching, illegal mining, the list can go on and on…

Finally, we would like to thank the Great Gobi Park Administration and their families for their kind collaboration, help, hospitality and kindness without which our part of the survey would not have been possible.

The following blog update was sent by James Mwang’ombe of the Taita Taveta Wildlife Forum in Kenya, where EDGE Fellow Dorine is working to conserve the elusive, remarkable, and critically endangered Sagalla caecilian.

EDGE Fellow, Dorine Ngeti, attended a training course which took place from 10th August -23rd August 2009 at the Zoological Society of London in Britain. It was exciting going to Britain for the first time. However, the most exciting part was meeting other EDGE Fellows and getting to learn what they are doing and the challenges they face and how they overcome them. The training was also an eye-opener on some of the new methods and tools we can apply to better carry out our work.

Dorine is working on restoration of native habitat on Sagalla Hill, Kenya. She was recently involved with a tree nursery training session, which took place in Sagalla from 24th to 28th August.

The importance of raising indigenous seedlings was re-emphasized; the trees will be used to for rehabilitation to provide a permanent reserve for the critically endangered Sagalla caecilian.

Seeds of Millettia oblata an endangered and endemic tree species have been sown in the office tree nursery and potting of the seedlings is being done as shown in the pictures below. Milletia oblata is endemic to the Taita Hills moist evergreen forest, reaching a height of 3-21m; it has brown bark, corrugated, leaves with 9-21 leaflets.

The tree seedlings will be used to re-introduce this tree species in Sagalla forest, where it no longer occurs, and also as part of the effort to restore the caecilian habitat. The seeds had been obtained from Ngangao forest in Taita hills.

To support projects like this habitat restoration work in Kenya, please become an EDGE Champion or donate here.

Yuan Lei is an EDGE Fellow working on one of the few remaining wild Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus) populations in China. In May he organized a survey expedition which aimed to identify which habitats are most important for wild camels.

The team spent 14 days in the desert in north-eastern China, and covered areas including the Jiashun Gobi, Aqike Valley, Kumutage Desert, and Aerjinshan Mountain.

Jiashun Gobi – in this are no wild camels were observed. The region does not have good vegetation availability and it is difficult to find water, so is likely to support only a very small population of camels.

Aqike Valley – Two wild camels were observed in the Aqike Valley, a decrease on last year’s survey which observed a large group of 16 camels. However, vegetation availability in this area is good, water more readily available, and there is little human activity.

Kumutage Desert – A large number of wild camel dung was observed along the north of this desert, some of which were fresh showing recent occupation by camels. This desert is located north of the Aerjinshan Mountain, and is an important migration route for wild camels. The Kumutage Desert covers a large area and offers sufficient vegetation to be an important resource for migrating camels. Vegetation most often grows low and in the sand dunes, between two dunes or on the leeward (downwind) side of a dune. This means that the site is not only a good place for camels to eat, but that they can also rest from the wind between the dunes while they eat.

North of Aerjinshan Mountain – Here the team observed 50 wild camels. The area was full of good vegetation for camels, and there are many water springs; numerous camel footprints were observed around the Kumusu spring. Luckily no recent human activity was observed, which can often reduce the quality of habitat for camels.

In total 52 camels were observed on this survey – over 5% of the estimated global population. The majority of camel sightings were at the Aerjinshan Mountain, while signs of recent camel presence were observed in the Kumutage Desert, causing the team to conclude that these two sites are the most important wild camel habitats surveyed.

The majority of other animals observed during the expedition were also seen in the Aerjinshan Mountain, including ten each of gazelle, argali and blue sheep, and one fox.

If you would like to support conservation work for unique and overlooked species, such as the wild Bactrian camel, then please become an EDGE Champion, or donate here.

EDGE Fellow Yuan Lei has sent this update on public awareness educational campaigns which were run by staff from the Lop Nur Wild Camel National Nature Reserve at Dikaner checkpoint of the reserve and Shanshan county, both in northern China.

From 21st to 22nd  April, we spent two days for wild camel’s and biodiversity protection public awareness education at north of the Lop Nur wild camel national nature reserve.

The first day, we organized the public awareness education in the front of the Dikaner checkpoint which lie in the Dikaner village. We organized the entertainment to assemble villagers together in the front of the checkpoint. We sent out the education materials to the villagers. Local government is very keen on the wild camel protection. Nearly all of the departments of the Shanshan county and Dikaner village designed different wild camel education board to show why wild camel and other wildlife are very important to be protected. And how to protect them.

On second day, we move to Shanshan county for public awareness education. Because Shanshan county is one of the closest county to the reserve, we held this public awareness education in the street of the Shanshan county. We introduced the environment protection and wild camel protection. Also “camel” is the official mascot for Shanshan county. We can see many camel’s statues stand along the streets.

The majority of major threats to wild camels are human-caused, so educational campaigns such as these organised by Yuan Lei are imperative in working towards sustainable solutions to reduce such threats.

To support the work of EDGE Fellows including Yuan Lei, please become an EDGE Champion or donate here.

Yuan Lei, one of two EDGE Fellows working on the wild Bactrian camel, tells us here about the environment he encountered during an observation trip in the barren north-east part of the Lop Nur Wild Camel National Nature Reserve.

On 6th April, I went into the reserve from Hami city with other four staff and a Toyota. The purpose is the environment investigation for water spring and vegetation. We spent 5 days in the reserve. And two days of them we stayed in the middle Lop Nur dry lake-basin. It is approximately 400km from Hami city to the middle Lop Nur dry lake-basin.

Between Hami city to the Lop Nur dry lake-basin, from north to south are Hami Oasis, Nanhu Gobi, Kuluketage mountain. Coming down from Kuluketage mountain is north edge of Lop Nur dry lake-basin.

Hami Oasis
Hami is a big city in the Xinjiang province. Population is over 400,000. Drinking water come from the Tianshan mountain which is high over then 4,000meter. Hami Oasis is most biggest city lie north east of the reserve.

Nanhu Gobi
Nanhu Gobi lies north east of the Lop Nor wild camel national nature reserve which is extremely rare dry flat desert. Whole of the desert is full of the small black stone and almost nothing grow on it. We found nothing when we cross this area. No plants, no water sprint, no any animals’ prints are in this area. This area is experiment zone of the reserve.

Kuluketage mountain
After Nanhu Gobi and continue to south, we went into Kuluketage mountain. So called mountain, in fact, is constitute by many low hills. This mountain also belongs to part of the Tianshan mountain. It is south Tianshan mountain. We could found vegetation grows along the valley of the mountain. But only some of the valley grow vegetation. Before we found a water point in this area. This time we went to see the water point again. But we found the water point is dry. Only gazelle’s foot prints had been found around the dry water point. Two years ago, we set a education board near this water print for education public and warning.

After five days, we finished our short time observation in north east of the reserve.

If you would like to support the work of Yuan Lei and other EDGE Fellows, who carry out vital research and conservation actions for unique and threatened species, please become an EDGE Champion or donate here.