Information, education and growing awareness on the endangered Mongolian wild ass protection

Our research and actions were conducted in two times,  first from September 8 to 11 and then, from September 18 to October 23. These two field missions were conducted only in the southeast Gobi (Dornogobi aimag). During the second mission some actions were conducted in parallel of research on the Khulan behavioral ecology with the help of Mr. BATMUNKH D., bachelor student in Biology at the National University of Mongolia and member of the Mongolian Ornithological Society.

We conducted further educational actions during this mission. Some activities were organized with two schools of our study area, depending on availability of teachers and our possibilities, these two schools were: the school of Khatanbulag sum and the school of Mandakh sum.

.School of Khatanbulag : A powerpoint presentation was organized with the English class of Miss Gantugs (English teacher). Because this school did not have any screen I did the presentation with all kids around me and looking at the screen of my laptop. During this presentation I talked about the present location of the Khulan in Mongolia, its significance for the Gobi ecosystem and people (with diggings holes made by wild asses at dry river beds and water points that are also used by livestock and people to access to water located underground), its behavior, … Batmunkh translated everything into Mongolian. At the end of this presentation we asked to kids about their knowledge and point of view about the Khulan… and then we provided them with a poster with some information about the Khulan and photographs (see slides bellow). 

We also met children of this school's Nature club  and discussed with them about possible activities they could do during the year and that we  could do together since the next mission. 

.Ecole de Mandakh: Another PowerPoint presentation was conducted to around 100 children of various degrees, their teachers and the director of this school. This school provided us with a screen that make much easier to do this presentation. At the end of the presentation, and as for the first presentation we did in Khatanbulag, we talked all together about this species and its protection. Posters and photographs were also donated to these children and to the teacher of Biology.

Our two presentations got a high interest from these children, teachers and school managers. Thus, we would like  to organize further presentations and educational activities since 2011, and to create much more educational materials for children. Educational materials for schools will be written in both Mongolian and English. 

See bellow some examples of previous actions we conducted on conservation education for Mongolian wild ass protection: 

.In 2008: click here

.In 2009: click here

During the mission we conducted in 2009, we started to cooperate with Buddhist monks of the Ölgii Khiid monastery, with the objectives to:

- reinforce links between Buddhism, wildlife and nature protection ,

-grow awareness of the local population on the Khulan, other endangered Gobi wildlife and nature protection following Buddhism teaching,

-and to illuminate the interdependence between humans and nature,

to maintain on a long term the balance of the Gobi ecosystem and to reach a better harmony between nature, animals and humans

During this last mission, we improved this project in cooperation with the Ölgii Khiid and the Khamariin Khiid, this last monastery being a very famous Buddhist monastery located in the SE Gobi, near Sainshand.

On a morning two monks of the Ölgii Khiid sacred the Mongolian wild ass following Mongolian Buddhism traditions. To symbolize this act and following mongolian traditions, we donated on a blue “khatag” (blue scarf): a photograph of khulans with two small statues of lions. This photograph will be put inside of the monastery, on the altar, with the statues of lions in both sides of the photo to increase the sacred value of the Khulan.

The monks of Ölgii Khiid will talk all over the year to people that will visit this monastery or people they will meet while travelling in this area, about the Khulan significance for the Gobi ecosystem and the urgent need to protect this species. They will also talk to people during the Tsagaan Sar celebration (white moon celebration) which correspond to the lunar New Year festival and is a very important celebration in Mongolia.

18^th of September has been chosen by the monk in charge of the Ölgii Khiid to be the “Khulan Day”. Every year on September 18, the Khulan will be celebrated as a sacred animal in Buddhist monasteries of our study area, activities will be also organized with schools and the population of this area.

10^th of September, has been chosen  by a monk of the famous Khamariin Khiid monastery to be the “Gobi wildlife Day”. Same activities will be organized than for the Khulan day.

We hope to be there on the September 2012 to start celebrations with the population and these monasteries. We strongly believe on the importance of these two celebrations for the Khulan and the Gobi wildlife protection, as well as on the importance to reinforce links between Mongolian Buddhism, local culture and traditions with this species, other wildlife and nature protection.

Since 2012, we will start extend our activities with Buddhist monasteries to nature protection on a general way. 

Other actions will be also conducted in cooperation with these two monasteries and educational materials will be created for them.

See bellow some previous actions we conducted in 2009 to reinforce links between Buddhism and Mongolian wild ass protection with a strip cartoon we created and donated to local people and kids during the summer 2009. This strip cartoon has been funded thanks to the National Geographic Conservation Trust for which Anne-Camille SOURIS was selected in 2008.    

Click here

Posters about the Khulan (its location in Mongolia, its status and the need to protect this species) were donated to sum* governors (* administrative subdivision), to schools, to rangers, to people interested in working us for this project, and the two Buddhist monasteries with which we are working. Photographs of khulans were also donated with written in red in Mongolian « very rare » (we used the words « very rare » to grow awareness of the local population on the present status of the Mongolian wild ass, these words being equivalent to “endangered” or “threatened”).

In 2009 we created a strip cartoon about the Mongolian wild ass, its behavioral ecology, threats affecting its survival and the need to protect this animal. This educational support got a high success from children and adults to who we donated it.  

We would like now to create some additional educational supports that will be complemented by activities we will organize with herders and people of our study area.