Przewalski's Horse - Mongolia

Not including the Arctic and Antarctica regions, the Gobi Desert, with an area of over 1,300,000 square kilometers, is the world’s third largest desert. It is expanding at an alarming rate through a process called desertification. Overgrazing, depletion of ground water, and deforestation contribute to desertification. 

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Equus ferus - As its scientific name suggests, the Przewalski's horse is the only true wild horse in the world; it has not been domesticated. The Przewalski's horse is endemic to Mongolia and had been on the brink of extinction. The last wild sighting occurred in the 1960’s. A breeding program was established using the last handful of remaining Przewalski's horses, less than 15, in an attempt to rescue the animal from extinction. The number of free ranging animals has steadily climbed in population and now numbers over 300 horses.

Demoiselle Crane - Mongolia

Anthropoides virgo - The demoiselle crane is the smallest bird of the Gruidae family, the crane family. It is distributed from the Black Sea to Mongolia. The demoiselle cranes from Mongolia have the toughest migratory route of any bird. Starting in late August and early September, large flocks of several hundred cranes gather to begin an arduous trek. Their journey takes them to altitudes of 8,000 meters as they cross over the Himalaya Mountains; they return north via the same route in March.

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Mongolia is the least densely populated country and the second largest landlocked country in the world; Kazakhstan is first. Mongolia came onto the world stage with the rise of the Mongol Empire in 1206. The Mongol Empire took full control of China by 1279 and in a twist of fate, was taken over by China’s Qing Dynasty towards the end of the 17th century. The Qing Dynasty controlled Mongolia for over 200 years. From 1924 until 1992, Mongolia was retained as a satellite of the Soviet Union.