Association GOVIIN KHULAN

Protecting the endangered Mongolian Khulan and its habitat

in partnership with rangers and local communities

to reach a better harmony between nature, animals and humans 

The Mongolian Khulan is an endangered species!

Монгол Хулан маш ховор байна!  

Status of the Mongolian Khulan (Mongolian Wild Ass)

ENDANGERED (IUCN Red List and in the Mongolian Red List of Mammals)

Appendix I of the CITES / Appendix II of the CMS

Our objectives: protect the endangered Mongolian Khulan (Mongolian Wild Ass) and its fragile habitat, improve relations between humans and khulans, and conserve biodiversity, in partnership with rangers and local communities, to reach a better harmony between nature, animals and humans.

The association GOVIIN KHULAN is a French non-profit organization co-founded in November 2007 by Anne-Camille SOURIS, ethologist, who is studying Mongolian wild Equids in Mongolia since 2003.

The Mongolian Khulan also known as Mongolian Wild Ass (Equus hemionus hemionus) - which is one ofthe 5 recognized sub-species of the Asiatic Wild Ass and the largest population of this species in the world - is listed as "Endangered" in the IUCN Red List and in Appendix I of the CITES (Convention of Washington). The population of the Mongolian Khulan has known an important decrease of about 50% since the end of the 1990's.

Our organization’s aims are:

- to enhance the protection of the Mongolian Khulan and its habitat,

- to improve relations between humans and khulans,

- to involve rangers and the local population in our project to protect this sub-species and its habitat and make local people Ambassadors of the Mongolian Khulan and its habitat protection,

- to contribute to biodiversity conservation,

- and to inform, grow public awareness, and educate local and international people to protect wildlife and nature.

Our actions are mainly conducted in the southeast Gobi, in Mongolia (east of the Ömnögobi and south of the Dornogobi aimags/provinces), where there were less actions towards this species protection.

Since the beginning, we cooperate with local scientists and specialists, local authorities, rangers, governors of each administrative subdivision, schools, Buddhist monasteries and the local population of our study area.

Since the summer 2008, we have secured support from some local rangers, local governments, some schools, two Buddhist monasteries and the local community of the south of the Dornogobi aimag.

Local people involvement and local cooperation are both vital for an optimal approach for this project and its long term success.

Since the spring 2011, our organization is an approved partner and recipient of 1% for the Planet, in which 1% member businesses on every continent can give at least 1% of their top-lines sales to environmental charities like ours.

To know more about:

the Mongolian Khulan

Our objectives and our multidisciplinary approach

Our team and our Expert Committe

Why "GOVIIN KHULAN" ? "Khulan" is the mongolian name of this sub-species, and "Govi" means the Gobi in mongolian language, thus, "Goviin Khulan" means the Khulan of the Gobi.

We heartily thank Miss UNDRAKH Turmunkh for the superb new logo she benevolently created for our organization beginning of 2011! To discover the meaning and the symbols of our Logo, click here!

ALL OUR PARTNERS HERE