The Mongolian government designated 2013 as “The Year of Protecting the Gobi Bear,” making Mongolia one of two countries to recognize conservation of a bear as a national priority.
Gobi bears are critically endangered; the species has fewer than 45 individuals left and is confined to an area of about 15,000 square kilometers in the Great Gobi Strictly Protected Area (GGSPA). Until 1970, these bears had twice the amount of space to roam.
Saving the Gobi bear has been a priority for Mongolia since 2003, when its government teamed up with the United Nations Development Program and the Global Environmental Facility to fund a project called “Conservation of the Great Gobi and its Umbrella Species.” Research for the Gobi Bear Project started in 2005 and became vital to the success of the conservation of the habitat as a whole.
When the project started, the goal was to learn more about the bear so a plan could be made to help save the species.
In 2013, the Gobi Bear Project Team conducted several genetic and demographic studies and explored several methods of reclaiming the land the bears occupied prior to 1970. Iridium satellite collars were purchased to place on bears to track their location and habitat use. The team also monitored the bears using remote trail cameras. These methods helped document family groups and showed that the population is successfully reproducing. The team also observed great biodiversity within the habitat.
Based on the team’s findings, the population has remained stable since 2009, when the population had a minimum of 23 bears and a maximum of 31. 2013 shows a minimum of 27. So, while it can’t be said for sure if the population has increased, it most likely hasn’t declined.
Although the population has remained stable, the issue of people interfering with the habitat is still a big threat. Illegal mining has recently increased dramatically and the miners rely on the same springs that the bears rely on for water and food. The human presence in this habitat could exclude bears and other wildlife from using vital areas.
The rangers who protect the GGSPA are struggling to enforce the law due to low funding. They’re only given enough fuel for one ranger patrol per month; patrols only last two to three days and the rangers’ motorcycles are often too slow to catch violators.
Harry Reynolds, founder of the Gobi Bear Project, said that if the rangers are going to be able to protect this habitat, it’s critical that funding allows them to be better equipped. While there have been improvements, it’s still a long road ahead, and GGSPA protectors face more than rogue mining operations in the battle to protect the habitat.
A bill was proposed in 2012 to place mining operations on much of the remaining Gobi habitat. Luckily, Mongolia’s will to conserve the Gobi prevented that bill from passing. Reynolds said things are going well right now, but they still need help. “The mining companies have the money and resources to keep trying,” he said. “As biologists, we don’t have those resources.”
Reynolds thanked Vital Ground for its for helping fund the Gobi Bear Project.
“Any success we’ve had since 2012 wouldn’t have been possible without the help from Vital Ground,” he said.