Argali sheep Ovis ammon trophy hunting in Mongolia

Argali sheep Ovis ammon in Mongolia are highly sought by foreign hunters because of their impressive size and long, spiraling horns. To be sustainable, hunting programs must be well managed and have the support of local communities. Argali numbers in Mongolia seems to be declining rapidly due primarily to poaching and competition with domestic livestock, which have increased over the past decade. Laws, regulations, and revenue disbursement associated with argali trophy hunting in Mongolia are described. Argali trophy hunting is lucrative and the number of argali licenses and hunting organizations has been increasing over the past decade. Controversy surrounds the program. This controversy has been manifested in growing local opposition and accusations of corruption by the media. To help address this controversy, we suggest a reform of argali trophy hunting management in Mongolia that will better conserve the argali, as well as enjoy enduring public support. A reformed trophy hunting program should be characterized by 1) openness and transparency, 2) external review and oversight, 3) a mix of top-down and bottom-up authority that enjoys local support, and 4) active and adaptive argali conservation and management using funds generated by trophy hunters.[fr]L’argali Ovis ammon de Mongolie est un trophée très apprécié par les chasseurs étrangers du fait de ses grandes cornes spiralées. La gestion de la chasse, si on la veut soutenable, doit être bien planifiée et doit faire participer les populations locales. Le nombre d'argalis en Mongolie a beaucoup baissé ces dernières années surtout du fait du braconnage et de la compétition avec les animaux domestiques, ces derniers ayant augmenté au cours de la dernière décade. Nous étudions les lois, les réglementations et les revenus associés à la chasse en Mongolie. Cette chasse au trophée se montre lucrative et le nombre de licences et d'associations de chasseurs a augmenté significativement ees dernières années. Cependant, le -programme a soulevé une controverse. D'abord, l'opposition locale a augmenté, puis les média ont parlé de corruption. Pour sortir de cette situation, nous suggérons la réforme de cette gestion de la chasse-trophée d'argali en Mongolie, de façon a conserver l'animal et a obtenir un appui public de longue durée. Cette réforme doit être basée sur les point suivants: 1) ouverture et transparence; 2) révision externe et surveillance; 3) autorité mixte de haut en bas et de bas en haut avec l'accord local, et 4) conservation active et adaptative de l'argali, en utilisant pour la gestion les fonds générés par la chasse au trophée. [es]En Mongolia el argali (Ovis ammon) es un trofeo altamente cotizado por cazadores extranjeros debido a su impresionante tamaño y a sus largos cuernos espirales. Para que este recurso sea sostenible los planes de caza deben estar bien dirigidos y contar con el apoyo de la población local. Su número en Mongolia parece declinar rápidamente debido principalmente al furtivismo y a la competencia con el ganado, que ha aumentado durante la pasada década. Se describen las leyes, regulaciones y las ganancias obtenidas asociadas a la caza del argali en Mongolia. La caza del argali es lucrativa y el número de licencias de caza y organizaciones de cazadores se ha incrementado durante la pasada década. La controversia que rodea el plan de caza se ha manifestado en una creciente oposición local y en acusaciones de corrupción por parte de los medios de comunicación. Como salida a esta situación, se propone el replanteamiento de la gestión de la caza de trofeo del argali en Mongolia, de forma que mejore su conservación y que, al mismo tiempo, disfrute de un apoyo popular duradero. El plan de caza de trofeo resultante debe estar caracterizado por: 1) accesibilidad y transparencia, 2) revisión y supervisión externa, 3) una autoridad representativa de los sectores implicados que cuente con el apoyo local y 4) uso de fondos generados por la caza de trofeo que financien una gestión y conservación dinámica del argali

Reproduction, neonatal weights, and first-year survival of Mongolian gazelles (Procapra gutturosa)

Mongolian gazelles Procapra gutturosa were observed, hand-captured and radio-monitored in the eastern steppe of Mongolia during 1998–2003 to understand better their reproduction and survival. During early June, 92% (range = 87–96%) of adult (≥ 2 years old) females observed (mean n = 735/year) were pregnant, and nearly all gave birth during a 10-day interval (24 June–3 July) each year. Mean mass of neonate (1–2 days old) calves (mean n = 47/year) was greater for males than for females, and masses were directly correlated with mean monthly temperatures the previous winter (December–April). Survival during the first 10 days of life for 111 radio-marked neonate calves monitored during 2000–03 (n = 9–55/year) was 0.83 and did not seem to vary with birth weight. Also, deaths owing to hypothermia, abandonment, or unknown causes (interval cause-specific mortality rate = 0.16) outnumbered deaths owing to predation (0.02) during this interval. Survival rates were similar during the rest of the year (0.86 for 355 days) when most mortalities were owing to predation (interval mortality rate = 0.12 vs 0.01). Annual survival of calves was 0.71 (95% CI = 0.61–0.82). Gazelle births are highly synchronous, probably to take most advantage of the short summer growing season, and perhaps to avoid deleterious spring weather and to minimize predation. High fecundity and relatively high calf survival, especially during the first weeks of life, support the notion that gazelle populations can recover fairly quickly from demographic catastrophes

Fences Impede Long-distance Mongolian Gazelle (Procapra gutturosa) Movements in Drought-stricken Landscapes

Human-generated landscape barriers are especially problematic for species whose life histories entail long-distance movements. In May 2008, hundreds of Mongolian gazelles (Procapra gutturosa) became entangled in border fences as thousands attempted to move from Mongolia into Russia. Typically, the root cause of such (non-migratory) mass animal movements can only be superfi cially described. Here we draw upon satellite imagery and a fortuitously timed fi eld study to investigate a likely hypothesis. At the same time that gazelles were attempting to cross from Mongolia into Russia, gazelles equipped with satellite-linked collars repeatedly attempted to emigrate from Mongolia into China. Satellite-derived estimates of vegetation productivity demonstrate that a decade-long decline in available green biomass in Mongolia’s steppes underlies the gazelles’ attempted mass emigrations. Given the potential that this trans-boundary movement event will occur within these drought-stricken landscapes in the future, modest fence modifi cations suitable for other similar open habitat ungulates may be suffi cient to allow the gazelles to maintain their nomadic movements