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Eastern Steppes - Mongolia
 The Eastern Mongolian steppes comprise the biggest expanse of unspoiled grassland in the world, a sea of knee-high grass nearly 250,000 square kilometers in extent without fences and few settlements to interrupt the immense sweep of land. Perhaps a million Mongolian gazelles migrate over the steppes, sometimes in herds of 25,000 or more, a wildlife spectacle now unique in Asia. Dr. George Schaller first visited these steppes in 1989 and found that poachers slaughtered gazelles in large numbers, while commercial harvests removed thousands more. The species had never been properly censused or thoroughly studied and the harvest remained unmanaged. In recent years, the steppes have been under increasing threat from development -- oil exploration and a planned railroad -- which would disrupt gazelle migration. Changing land use patterns also threaten long-term sustainability in the area, including agricultural expansion, fencing of land, and overgrazing due to the disruption of pastoral traditions to a more sedentary way of life.
In 1998, Schaller initiated an intensive study with Mongolian collaborators and staff from the WCS Wildlife Health Program. Kirk Olson joined the project the following year, and, with cooperation of the local UNDP-GEF Eastern Steppe Biodiversity Project, continues his efforts today. One aim is to study the population dynamics of the gazelle populations, which will lead to better management of the landscape. Another aim is to determine the migratory patterns of the gazelle, using radio-collared animals, so that critical habitat can be preserved as the region develops.
Unmanaged and illegal hunting are the biggest threats to Mongolian gazelles and are being addressed through WCS-led stakeholder workshops and the development of a Mongolian Gazelle Management and Action Plan. Members of the WCS Field Vet Program have made several visit to the area to study disease transmission between gazelles and other wildlife, livestock, and humans. Currently, WCS' Living Landscapes Program is working with the USAID to implement a long-term project to sustain wildlife and traditional livelihoods on the Eastern Steppe. The future of the Mongolian gazelle depends on the protection and management of the whole steppe landscape, not just a single reserve.
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