Management of Mongolian Gazelles as a Sustainable Resource

• Main Authors: Peter Zahler, Kirk Olson, Ganzorig Khuukhenbaatar, Boldbaatar Byamba, George Schaller, Gordon Grigg, Tony Pople, Nicole Payne, Matt Draisma, Paul Hopwood, Daria Odonkhuu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: National University of Mongolia 2003-12-01
• Series: Mongolian Journal of Biological Sciences
• Subjects: Mongolian gazelle; Procapra gutturosa; commercial harvest
• Online Access: http://mjbs.num.edu.mn/uploads/files/MJBS%20Volume%201%20Number%202%20December%202003/pdf/mjbs001-02-06.pdf

An international workshop on gazelle harvesting and management was held in Ulaanbaatar , Mongolia in October , 2003. The major output from this workshop was the general agreement that no commercial hunt can be recommended at this time. This is because of the high level of poaching that is appearing to be having a negative impact on gazelle numbers. Best estimates put the existing gazelle population at about one million and decreasing. Models have suggested that this population could sustain an annual 6% commercial of ftake. However , it is estimated that the illegal of ftake may be near or exceed 10% annually . If so, this would explain why the population of gazelles is decreasing even without a legal commercial hunt. While there are adequate laws to deal with poaching, there is extremely poor enforcement due to a lack of funding, equipment, and will. We recommend against a commercial harvest until poaching is controlled and there is a sound monitoring system in place, and until monitoring shows gazelle populations to be stable or increasing.