Russian Bears in Siberia Found in Mongolia

Russian Bears in Siberia Found in Mongolia
Two bears from Siberia in Russia ended up in northeastern Mongolia in 2022, as they escaped from raging forest fires. Luckily, they arrived in a protected area where rangers were more than happy to help. The East Siberian brown bear (Ursus arctos collaris) is a population or subspecies of brown bear which ranges from eastern Siberia, beginning at the Yenisei ...

For decades, Mongolia's biodiversity has been decimated by hunting and resource extraction. Today, rangers are trying to persuade the population to rethink. But the appearance of bears in the villages could undo these efforts.

The boreal coniferous forest, better known as taiga, covers 17 percent of the earth's surface. It has the world's highest density of rivers and mineral resources. For the nomads of Mongolia, the primeval forests and clean waters provided a habitat for thousands of years.

However, over the centuries - and especially in the last 50 years - the biodiversity and resources of the Mongolian territories have been decimated by hunting and illegal mining. The wild animals left the forest and the watercourses became polluted.

Part of the Ulaan Taiga has been protected since 2012. The park's chief ranger is Tumursukh Jal. The former hunter, who himself comes from the local community, is committed to ensuring compliance with environmental protection laws.

The aim is to prevent illegal mining. But some of the nomads’ traditional hunting practices are also damaging the forest. Tumursukh and his rangers work tirelessly, sometimes risking their lives.

Their efforts are paying off: the wild animals have returned and the taiga is alive again. Tumursukh is also aware of the global climate crisis. His dream is for his protected area to become a model for nature conservation, and a thriving reserve for both flora and fauna.

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