The Institute of Zoology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Beijing) has hosted an international symposium on cross-border cooperation in conservation and efficient use of Chinese and Mongolian wildlife. Altaisky and Ubsunur Hollow biosphere reserves presented their proposals on how to preserve the snow leopard and Argali sheep in the cross-border area between Russia and Mongolia. Altaisky and Ubsunur Hollow biosphere reserves presented their proposals on how to preserve the snow leopard and Argali sheep in the cross-border area between Russia and Mongolia.

Symposium participants discussed ways of studying and protecting rare mammals in their countries. The focus was on the species whose populations have a cross-border status, such as the snow leopard, Amur tiger, Far Eastern leopard, Altai wild sheep (argali) and Mongolian gazelle (dzeren).

The participants identified a main area of cooperation as preserving the habitat of the rare species and routes for their movement between countries within their range. This could be done by creating new protected areas. The future of the snow leopard in the Altai-Sayan region now directly depends on cooperation between Russia and Mongolia.

Sergei Spitsyn, a senior researcher at the Altaisky Biosphere Reserve, said how important it was to create new protected areas for protecting and studying snow leopards in the Russian-Mongolian cross-border area. He also elaborated on the reserve’s participation in monitoring these species, organising nature protection raids, training staff and working with volunteers and local residents, and also on the successful cooperation with Mongolian colleagues. The scientist expressed concern about conserving snow leopard groups in the Chikhachyov Range of the Altai Republic. Experts believe the best solution would be to set up a buffer zone in the Altaisky Biosphere Reserve on the Chikhachyov Range to create an international protected area and make conservation efforts and joint research projects more efficient.

Alexander Kuksin, deputy director for research in the Ubsunur Hollow Biosphere Reserve (Tyva Republic) delivered a report co-authored by Sergei Spitsyn on snow leopard and Argali conservation in the Russia-Mongolia cross-border areas. The report presented the results of cooperation between Ubsunur Hollow and Russian and Mongolian research organisations in studying and protecting the local flagship species such as the snow leopard and Argali. The nature reserve’s cross-border cooperation experience will come useful for Russia, China and Mongolia in their efforts to establish new international protected areas.

The Russian side at the forum was sponsored by the Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution at the Russian Academy of Sciences.