Illegal hunting and wildlife trade

The List of Endangered Species: Always lengthening

Animal products from Mongolia sold on the Chinese medical market.
© J. E. Newby

Snow leopard pelt seized by Dubai Customs in January 2004.
© WWF-UAE

In less than a 10 year period, the number of both rare and abundant (commonly distributed) animals in Mongolia has been decreasing rapidly and some are now on the brink of extinction.

Some Wildlife Population Statistics:

• In 1980's, 40,000 Argali sheep and 140,000 Red Deer were counted. But during the census of 2001 and 2004, only 13,000 Argali and 10,000 individuals of Red Deer were counted.
• The number of Mongolian Saiga antelope, which reached 5,000 heads  in 2000, dropped down to 1,500 by 2005.
• Animals listed as Rare and very rare also have been decreasing drastically: by 70-90 percent during the last few years.
  
• The situation for commonly distributed species such as the marmot and white gazelle is becoming grave as well. 
• The Brown Bear and Taimen fish are now added into the Government's official List of Rare Animals.
  
• These statistics mean that the protection of these species are getting higher priority and that endangered species' populations are getting so small that they are facing extinction

Hopefully listing these species of wildlife will lead to better protection, but it warns of the threat of extinction for many of these animals. 

Illegal Hunting & Wildlife Trade are the major anthropogenic factors causing the extinction of animals.

In the World, the Illegal Wildlife trade comes just behind the drug trade. If we do not stop Illegal Hunting, it might escalate to coming only after the gold trade in Mongolia.