From 17 species listed as very rare animals in law on fauna, gobi bear numbers reached the minimum amount. We, Mongolian people have a rich traditional conservation practices to love and respect, glory and worship the nature. Unfortunately every good thing has a dark side. Species such as Przewalski horse, saiga and dhole extincted in last 60 years. Maybe methodology to conserve these species were unclear that days. But these days with such scientific progress, we have no right to allow rare species to extinct just looking how it happens. Therefore, the Ministry of Environment and Green Development organized stepwise conferences for concerned parties in order to intensify and raise to a new level efforts for protection of Gobi Bear in 2013. As a result, workgroup with 17 members was established and begun their efforts to implement Gobi Bear Conservation Program that was approved by Minister of Environment and Green Development on January 23, 2013. I serve as a leader of the workgroup. We prepared a plan and work accordingly in main three directions such as reclamation of gobi bear habitat, plant the feed and increase amount of feed; close up discussions on gobi bear species issue, conduct detailed study on population, migration and habitat, raise and increase public awareness. 

We are one step forward to resolve the speicies question of the gobi bear. Our researchers proved gobi bear does not come from brown bear  which spread through Mongolian territory. We made an agreement to send our researchers to international laboratory to define genetic differences between gobi bear and other bears in India, Pakistan, Tibet and Himalayan mountains which is the closest bear species than total nine species in the world by geographic location.

Protection of genetic stock of gobi bear is very important. We are searching a way to shift gobi bear cub to the zoo. Providing conditions to reproduce and training cubs is very important because we have no experience on that. Therefore we should learn experience of panda conservation in China. We purposed to collaborate with China on preparing specialists and sharing experience during official visit of Deputy Minister of Environment. We also met with South Korean researchers who have experience on insemination and breeding of Alaskan black bear and proposed to work on gobi bear. If gobi bear will extinct in its habitat, it is important to save genetic stock of the gobi bear. We decided to let Mongolian scientists work at San Diego University gene bank laboratory where the gobi bear genetic resources are stored to become specialized in genetic studies.

“Mongolian pride – Gobi Bear” NGO organized a campaign and gathered 10 tons of additional fodder that were distributed at 15 sites in Atas, Inges, Shar Khust and Tsagaan Bogd mountains by the rangers of Great Gobi Strictly Protected Area before Gobi Bears go out hibernation. Motion sensor cameras are placed and took pictures at these sites. Specialists from International Association for Bear Research and Management and our specialists work together at zone “A” of Great Gobi. The association specialists come here to do research. Besides putting signal collars, they collect sample of hair for genetic study. Like fingerprints hair samples keep non-identical data. So hair samples tell us information about population and age. The association’d specialists will begin to study about gobi bear disease next year.
 
Works such cultivation of feed plant and construction of fodder manufactory in local area to improve food of gobi bear is included in our plan. This work has been successfully started by “MAMA” NGO. Around 20 days ago, corn and soybean were planted in two hectares of land at Ekhiin gol and Bayatooroi. At this point gobi bear conservation program goes as scheduled.  
We will happy to collaborate with anyone who’d love to save gobi bear.