Wildlife of
Mongolia

The country of Mongolia is home to a variety of unique animals. Some of the more well-known animals include Bactrian camels, musk deer, and the Black-tailed gazelle. The snow leopard is one of the rarer species in Mongolia along with the snowcock. This country is unique in that it has an abundance of many types of animals including 139 mammal species, 449 bird species, 22 reptile species, 76 fish species, and 6 amphibian species.

Because Mongolia has varied terrain and is one of the largest countries in the world, it provides diverse and rich animal life. It is famous for its rolling plains, high plateaus, mountains, and desert lands. Mongolia also can be quite brutal and unwelcoming due to its cold and dry climate. There are even devastating cold snaps called dzuds that decimate animal populations.

The Official National Animal of Mongolia

The national animal of Mongolia is the Przewalski’s horse. It’s also known as the Mongolian horse or the Takh. The Przewalski’s horse is smaller than the typical domestic horse growing to just 4 feet tall. This horse is related to the zebra and has a black stripe on its back. Though these look a lot like domestic horses, they are born to be wild!

This unique horse is a symbol of strength and endurance. Its powerful body is designed to withstand the extremely cold, windy conditions in Mongolia. Takh means ‘spirit’ or ‘holy horse.’ Legends surround these unique horses. One legend is that Genghis Khan rode a Takh as he strived to conquer the world.

Przewalski horses were once categorized as Extinct. Many were the victims of big game hunters or lost their habitat due to farmland expansion. However, with the help of breeding programs, their population has escaped the category of Extinct and is slowly growing. Now, they’re categorized as Endangered. Scientists estimate there are 178 mature individuals alive today.

The Most Dangerous Animals in Mongolia Today

Like other countries, Mongolia is home to both non-aggressive as well as dangerous animals. The type of these animals depends on the terrain from which they are found. Only ten percent of Mongolia’s land lies outside areas that are stricken with extreme weather conditions. Harsh conditions tend to produce harsh animals!

When it comes to humans, what makes a lot of these animals particularly dangerous is the remoteness of Mongolia. If one happens to be attacked by one of these deadly animals, the likelihood of survival without severe consequences is not very high because of the lack of access to hospitals and proper care. Indigenous people have been able to live the adapt to the dangerous wildlife, but any tourists to Mongolia should become educated on what lies in the wild.

Some of the most dangerous animals in Mongolia include:

• Common Adder – The common adder is one of four venomous snakes living in Mongolia. Though they are not aggressive, they do bite if threatened. This snake blends well with its environment, so many bites occur when they are stepped on. Fortunately, there are only 14 recorded human deaths from common adders since 1876! Though a common adder’s bite is not likely to be fatal, it is very painful and can require a trip to the hospital for treatment.
• Halys Pit Viper – This is another venomous snake found in Mongolia. The number of humans bitten by the Halys Pit Viper is unknown. However, a bite from this snake causes swelling, bruising, and blistering where the bite occurred. In short, their bite is painful, but not likely to be fatal.
• Mongolian Death Worm – This animal is said to live beneath the sands of the Gobi Desert. This is one of those creatures with a lot of stories surrounding it that vary in accuracy. In fact, a Russian author named Yefremov wrote a science fiction novel based on this animal. It is said to measure two feet long and can spray venom at its prey. Other stories claim a Mongolian Death Worm’s skin is poisonous and can cause death if it’s touched. Through most of the last century, many individuals claim to have seen this animal. But some scientists say what people are seeing is the Tartar sand boa constrictor. This snake doesn’t have any of the characteristics attributed to the Mongolian Death Worm.
• Mongolian Wolf – This large predator is a species of gray wolf living in Mongolia. Like other types of wolves, the Mongolian wolf likes to stay hidden from people. But, if someone wandered into this wolf’s territory or approach its young, it would likely turn aggressive.

Where to Find the Top Wild Animals in Mongolia

Animals in Mongolia that are Endangered or at risk of extinction are fortunate to have some safe areas of land to live on. These include national parks and wildlife preserves.

With close to 100,000 square miles, the famous Mongolian steppe habitat is a massive grassland that remains today. It is home to many amazing Mongolian animals, such as the Mongolian gazelle.

Mongolia has passed pieces of legislation to protect the steppe and other lands from commercial overhunting. In the 1990s, the government put into place the Mongolian Law on Hunting and its Law on Environmental Protection. These two items have helped preserve many of their amazing animals and lands.

Discover where to find the top wild animals in Mongolia:

• Przewalski’s Horse – The habitat of these sturdy horses includes steppes and forests. Hustai National Park is one place in Mongolia where these horses wander.
• Siberian Musk Deer – These unique animals live on the taiga and in mountainous areas. Gorkhi-Terelj National Park is home to many of them. Their population has decreased in part due to big game hunters.
• Brown Bear – The habitat of this large predator is mountainous desert. Gorkhi-Terelj National Park serves as home to many of these brown bears.
• Snow Leopard – The habitat of another large predator namely the snow leopard includes mountainous areas and cliffs. Some of them reside in Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park.
• Altai Snow Cocks – These birds look like partridges and live in the mountains. Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park is home to many of them.
• Bactrian Camels – This animal lives in the harsh climate of the Gobi Desert. They are found in Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park as well.

Rarest Animals in Mongolia

There are many animals that live in varied landscapes of Mongolia, and this one may be the rarest.

You may think it sounds crazy but there is a bear, yes a bear, that lives in a desert. The Gobi Desert, actually, and in Mongolia. It is a subspecies of the brown bear. Sadly, when we say rare, for this breed it is all too true. There may be less than fifty remaining individuals, but there has been a slight uptick in population over the past decade or so.

The Gobi Bear, or the Mazaalai, is an omnivore like most other bears and makes its meals out of just about anything they come across from locusts and grasshoppers to jasmine, sagebrush, and rhubarb. Only about ten percent of their diet comes from protein. When they are not foraging for food, they, as you might expect are looking for sources of water. In the summer months, this is especially true. They will spend a lot of time in shaded areas near rocks and tunnels.

The biggest threat to the Gobi Bear is probably the access to water. With climate change, the amount of freshwater is not getting more plentiful, especially within the desert regions of the world.

Largest Animals in Mongolia

It’s only fitting that one of the largest countries in the world would have some very large animals. Many large animals call Mongolia their home. Some are hard to find and others are not!

One of these great beasts is the Argali sheep. These sheep are not only larger, but they are also the largest sheep breed in the world! Two types of them live in Mongolia: the Gobi Argali and the High Altai Argali. A stunning place that many of these sheep call home is the Mount Turgen sub-range.

Another large animal that you can find many of is the Mongolian White-tailed Gazelle. While they may not be the absolute biggest grazer in the world, they do come in large numbers. In the mid-2000s, they were seen traveling en masse in numbers of over 250,000 across the Mongolian plains! Mixed within their numbers were a few black-tailed Gazelles also.

Endangered Animals in Mongolia

Mongolia is home to many animals that are either Endangered or Critically Endangered. Habitat loss, loss of food sources, and big game hunting are all reasons for decreasing animal populations.

Habitat loss has been unfortunately due to many factors. Overuse of grassland has been a major concern as the population of Mongolia has been trying to make the most of available land. It has reduced the fortitude of the grasslands and surrounding ecosystems causing them to not be as fertile.

Perhaps the most serious aspect is that the freshwater sources throughout Mongolia have been drying up. Global warming, as well as human consumption, drastically has affected the landscape across Mongolia and is leading to desertification.

Some examples of Endangered animals in Mongolia:

• Bactrian Camel
• Przewalski’s Horse
• Mongolian Marmot
• Siberian Taimen (Vulnerable)
• Saker Falcon