The Association GOVIIN KHULAN* is a French non-profit organization co-founded in November 2007 by Anne-Camille Souris, ethologist, studying Mongolian wild Equids behavioral ecology and behavior since 2003, member of the SSC/IUCN Equid Specialist Group, Chairwoman, project and research Director of the Association GOVIIN KHULAN.

*"Goviin Khulan" means in mongolian:  the Mongolian wild Ass of the Gobi, Khulan is the mongolian name for Mongolian wild ass.

Because the human population is continually increasing, while spaces and habitats are decreasing and deteriorate day after day and because natural resources become rare for humans as well as for animals, "conflicts" between humans and animals are highly increasing.

The conservation of an endangered species will have a long term success only if we consider needs, difficulties, culture and traditions of the local population sharing the same habitat, and if we directly involve them in endangered species protection.  

The aim of the Association GOVIIN KHULAN is to enhance protection of the endangered Mongolian Khulan (or Mongolian wild ass)  and its habitat, to improve relations between humans and wild asses, and to contribute to biodiversity conservation thanks to a multidisciplinary approach for a long term success: 

1. A scientific action in the field,   

2. Provide technical, financial and training support to rangers of our study area,

3. Provide training support to Mongolian students, rangers and local people,

4. Inform, educate and promote public awareness in Mongolia on the Mongolian wild ass significance in the Gobi ecosystem and need in protecting biodiversity,

5. Directly involve the local population in research and actions for the Mongolian wild ass protection, and make them ambassadors of this species protection, 

6. Take into consideration: needs, difficulties, culture and traditions of local people,

7. Build local and international collaborations,

8. Reinforce links between local culture with species and nature protection. For example:

     - Reinforce links between Mongolian Buddhism with Mongolian wild ass, Gobi

       wildlife and nature protection,

     - Promote Mongolian art and culture in support to Mongolian wild ass and

       biodiversity conservation.

9. Inform, promote public awareness, educate and involve the international population and tourists visiting Mongolia in wildlife and nature protection.

In Mongolia, the project is supported since the beginning by the administrative divisions governors of the two "aimags" (provinces) where we work since the summer 2008 (Ömnögobi aimag and Dornogobi aimag), rangers, schools, two Buddhist monasteries (including the famous Khamariin Khiid located near Sainshand), and the local community of these areas, especially for the following administrative subdivisions: Saikhandulaan sum, Mandakh sum, Khatanbulag sum, Hovsgol sum and Khanbogd sum, where we mainly work.

Our goal: "to reach a better harmony between nature, animals and humans"

GOVIIN KHULAN’s approach for Mongolian Khulan protection on a long term basis

. Culture, traditions: Actions currently conducted 1) Reinforce links between Mongolian Buddhism and compassion with the Mongolian wild ass, Gobi wildlife and nature protection, 2) Promote Mongolian art and culture with Mongolian wild ass and biodiversity conservation.

. Community development: that include and will include 1) commercial outlet for handmade articles, 2) involvement of the local community in wildlife and birds watching tours we will co-organize in the south and southeast Gobi and income for the local community, 3) other actions will be added soon;

. Ethics: animal and environmental ethics (also part of our approach with Mongolian Buddhism). 

In a close cooperation with local and international researchers, professionnals in biodiversity and endangered species conservation, and relevant institutions - following the priorities of conservation actions defined by the SSC/IUCN Equid Specialist Group - our mission is to participate to the endangered Mongolian wild ass protection (Equus hemionus hemionus), to improve relations between humans and wild asses, and to contribute to biodiversity conservation, by conducting in-situ research and conservation actions in cooperation with local and international partners, local governments and the local population.

Thanks to information we will obtain it will be possible to define and implement optimal management recommendations for these species conservation with respect for the local culture and traditions and while considering needs and difficulties of the local population.

In the face of the critical status of the Mongolian wild ass, listed in the Red List of the IUCN as "endangered" (species “threatened with a high risk of extinction in the wild”), and listed in Appendice I of the CITES, and because less work was conducted toward this species conservation in the south and southeast Gobi, our organization mainly work for this species protection in these two areas: south Gobi (Ömnögobi aimag) and southeast Gobi (south of the Dornogobi aimag).  

Our scientific actions:

1) Research on the Mongolian wild ass behavioral ecology and ethology (research conducted by Anne-Camille SOURIS, ethologist and studying Mongolian wild Equids behavioral ecology and behavior since 2003. She is also the Chairwoman of the Association GOVIIN KHULAN,

2) Research on the Mongolian wild ass genetic and microbiology in partnership with Dr. Albano BEJA-PEREIRA and his team (CIBIO, University of Porto),

3) Research on nature of interactions bewteen wild asses and other species and human activities,

4) Research on nature and degree of threats affecting Mongolian wild ass survival and actions to track illegal hunting and trade of Mongolian wild asses.

Other actions we conduct in the field:

5) Actions to improve relations between humans and wild asses,

6) Involvement of rangers, governments, local partners and the local population in the project and research.

The protection of the Mongolian Khulan will also have a great impact on protection of other endangered Gobi species and the Gobi ecosystem.

In parallel to research and actions we conduct in-situ, our  aim is also to inform, grow public awareness and educate local people to the significance of the Mongolian wild ass in the Gobi ecosystem, to biodiversity conservation and natural resources management, as well as to directly involve local people in our project and then, make local people actors and ambassadors of the Mongolian Khulan protection and biodiversity conservation of their native country.  Nature protection is not only the responsability of scientists, environmentalists, local governments and relevant institutions, but it is also the responsability of local people who can act for the long term  success of species and biodiversity conservation. 

Our aims are to:

- inform the local population on the significance of the Mongolian wild ass in the Gobi ecosystem and the need to protect this species and its habitat,

- promote public awareness about illegal hunting and trade of wild ass for meat, skin and use in traditional medicine,

- enhance the population appreciation for this animal,

- improve relations between herders and wild asses,

- reinforce the ecological, economical, cultural and ethical value of the Mongolian wild ass,

- involve rangers, families and people living in our study area, in research and actions conducted by our organization, 

- and involve some local partners and the local government in the project.   

Various activities will be organized with schools and the local community of our study area.

Educational trunks will be soon created, including educational materials for kids and adults, in both english and mongolian languages.

Educational materials will be also created for each school-partner of the Association GOVIIN KHULAN, and training will be provided to teachers for activities about Mongolian wild Equids, wildlife and nature protection.

Provide training support to undergraduate and postgraduate Mongolian students of the National University of Mongolia and to rangers and local people, that will be beneficial to both scientific-educational and practical level.

The last student who joined our team last fall 2010, Mr. BATMUNKH D., is now an active member of the Association GOVIIN KHULAN and the present candidate to prepare his PhD on the Mongolian wild ass and assist Anne-Camille SOURIS and the Association GOVIIN KHULAN in research and actions for this species protection.

One of our objectives is also to reinforce links between Mongolian culture and traditions with the Mongolian wild ass and nature protection, for a long term success.

Some examples of actions we started in this field: 

      .Reinforce links between Mongolian Buddhism and compassion with

      Mongolian wild ass, other Gobi wildlife and nature protection.

      Please find more information Here,

      .Promote Mongolian art and culture in support to Mongolian wild ass and

       biodiversity conservation.

       Please find more information Here.

Our mission is also to provide support to the local population in the face of its needs and difficulties, with the aim to find a compromise between the Mongolian wild ass survival and local activities and traditions.

One of our objectives is to implement a community project in our study area where:

- some families will be directly involved in the project and research,

- training and commercial outlet for handmade articles will be provided to them, 

- the local community will be involved in wildlife and birds watching tours that our organization will co-organize with the Mongolian Ornithological Society and other local partners,

- financial and technical support will be provided to some schools and Buddhist monasteries of our study area.

The aim of this community project is to make local people ambassadors of the Mongolian wild ass protection, to contribute to income diversification of the local community (to reduce poverty, decrease illegal hunting of endangered species such as the Mongolian Khulan and decrease overgrazing caused by cashmere goats and big herds of livestock), and to reinforce the cultural and economic value of the Mongolian wild ass. The aim of this community project is also to establish an anti-poaching network in which local people will be involved.

Our aim is to be active in-situ in agreement with priorities of conservation defined by the SSC/IUCN Equid Specialist Group, and to work in a close cooperation with local and international researchers and professionals specialised in biodiversity and wildlife conservation, information and education, and other relevant field for species and biodiversity conservation, as well as with local governments, universities, relevant institutions, organizations, and the native population. 

Our scientific and technical partners

Our local partners

One of our objectives is to provide rangers of our study area with financial, technical and training support as well as to implement mobile anti-poaching units. Rangers of our study area don't have any technical equipment. Rangers who are native of Mongolia and most part of the time native of the Gobi area, are very important for species and nature protection on a long term basis. Thus, it is very vital to provide them with technical, financial and training support.

During the summer 2009, we provided to one ranger working in the Khatanbulag sum (Little Gobi B protected area) with binoculars and one GPS.

But one ranger is not enough, and we need to support much more rangers.

Rangers that will be involved in our project and employed by our organization will be also trained to conduct educational activities with the local population. 

One of our objective is also to build a Khulan Conservation Center, that will be a center dedicated to Mongolian wild ass conservation in the south and southeast Gobi.

We also wish to establish an office in Mongolia and create a mongolian NGO that will depend of GOVIIN KHULAN to have our team based in Mongolia with actions conducted in Mongolia all year round.

Because the protection of our environment is the responsability of each of us, our aim is also to inform, grow awareness, and educate the international population to nature protection, making each citizen actor and ambassador of environment protection.

Our aim is also to directly involve tourists visiting Mongolia in nature protection through various activities on which we are presently working and thanks to birds and wildlife watching tours the Association GOVIIN KHULAN will co-organize with the Mongolian Ornithological Society and other local partners in Mongolia.

Anne-Camille SOURIS is also working on a project of 54' documentary about the Mongolian Khulan, its protection, environmental issues in the Gobi area and actions conducted by our organization to protect this species and its habitat.
 

More projects of documentary and short movie will be certainly added whithin the following months (stay tuned ...).

A long range goal is to build a Mongolian Khulan* Conservation Center in the south of the Dornogobi aimag (Khatanbulag sum), that will serve as research center for rangers working in the study area, for students and all local and international scientists that will work on Mongolian wild ass (as well on other Gobi wildlife) for the Association GOVIIN KHULAN, and will provide a data base and library where all rangers, specialists and scientists will put their data, papers and book, technical equipment and rooms that would make it possible to host conferences, workshops and exhibitions.

This idea has been submitted to us by Mr TERBISH Sh., chief of rangers working in the Little Gobi B protected area (Khatanbulag sum part), when we met him during the summer 2008. We will collaborate with him on this project. Mr TERBISH Sh. support our project and help us since the summer 2008. He is also member of the International Khulan Conservation Action Group.

The Mongolian Khulan is an endangered species. Its population has known an important decrease of about 50% since the end of the 1990's.

Actions and research are urgently needed to protect this species from extinction and protect its habitat!  

Support our actions and Spread the word around you !

We heartily thank you in advance for your help and support.

Discover our project for the Mongolian Khulan protection

and a short article about threats affecting the Mongolian Khulan's survival

Updated on the 15th of August 2010