Efforts are underway in the Gobi Desert to save a newly discovered species of camel from extinction. The critically endangered double-humped camel is restricted to parts of Mongolia and China and was once thought to be the same species as the better known Bactrian camel. We spoke to John Hare, who runs the Wild Camel Protection Foundation (WPCF) which is behind the conservation programme. Only around 1,400 of the camels survive in China and Mongolia.

“They are remarkable creatures,” Hare told us. “I mean, in China, for example, they withstood 43 atmospheric nuclear tests. They lived in the Lop Nur nuclear test area. And they’re still breathing naturally and they haven’t got three humps.”

The WCPF is working to save the camels through successful captive breeding and subsequent re-introduction of the young animals into the wild.
They are thought to be a very ancient species from which the better known single-humped species may be descended.

The wild double-humped camel has to manage without fresh water for much of its life. “Young wild camels are drinking water with a higher salt content than seawater,” says Hare. “Only around 1,400 camels survive in China and Mongolia. And they are fighting for their existence every day.”

With regard to the kind of challenges the camels face just to survive, he explains:
“People are going into the desert illegally. We found a case of them setting landmines near a water point to blow the camel up so they can get food. There’s a lot of going against them. Wolves are another threat.”