Temperate Asia

From deserts to steppe grasslands, from mountains to alpine meadows and forests, the region features a complex mix of ecosystems and a confluence of biological realms. This has led to unique endemic species and surprising biodiversity. Afghanistan, for instance, is home to nine wild felids, the same number as all of sub-saharan Africa. The region also contains some of the world's last spectacular migrations and nomadic movements, involving millions of animals, from Mongolian gazelles to saiga to Tibetan antelope.

Challenges

The region has some of the lowest human population densities on the planet. But threats from extractive industries, particularly mining, the development of roads and railroads that block animal movements, not to mention overgrazing, poaching and climate change, all loom large.

Our Goal

Maintain connectivity for the region's migratory and nomadic wildlife and ensure that entire landscapes continue to function as effective and complete wild places, with the full array of wildlife endemic to the region.

How Will We Get There?

Our strategies include:

Photo Credit: ©David Edwards/National Geographic Creative

Why WCS?

1 million-plus

WCS has worked on Mongolian gazelle conservation and management since 1998, conducting ground-breaking ecological and disease research, working on public education, helping to strengthen the country’s laws on hunting and wildlife trade, and training Mongolian authorities in enforcement techniques to address the unsustainable and illegal wildlife trade.

70 percent

In Afghanistan, WCS has helped create the country's first two protected areas—Band-e-Amir National Park and Wakhan National Park, which now protects over 70% of the country's snow leopard population.

Read more:
WCS Afghanistan
WCS China
WCS Mongolia

Wildlife

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