Report by Paul Carter
Trip with Kevin Bryan, Ian Thompson, Sjef Ollers and Anja Palmans
Version 1: 30 Nov 2019
Pdf version of this report here; updates to this report will be done in the website post only.
pcarter66 @ outlook.com
Table of Contents
1. SUMMARY
2. LOGISTICS AND REFERENCES
3. ITINERARY
4. LIST OF MAMMALS SEEN
5. LIST OF MAMMALS RECORDED AND SITES
6. PHOTOS
7. SITE NOTES
1. Summary
This four-week road-trip covered 5,300 km across Central and Western Mongolia (excluding the southern Gobi). Key sites visited were Hustai NP, Boon Tsagaan Nuur, Sharga, Gobi B SPA, Jargalant Uul, Tavan Bogd NP, Khurgas Nuur area and the Khangai Mountains. The focus was on mammals and we identified 44 species, with another two heard (Lynx and Wolf). Some of the bats seen and recorded have yet to be identified. Rodents were surprisingly scarce on some nights and we only had two mustelids. Small-mammal highlights included Steppe Zokor, Zaisan Mole Vole, Grey Marmot, Five-toed Pygmy Jerboa and Thick-tailed Pygmy Jerboa.
Route Map (numbers 4 to 29 show overnight dates and sites; names in red show places camped at whilst at names in purple we used hotels or gers; route in red is the out-leg; that in purple the return leg):
From 2002 to 2007 my work in Mongolia, as an exploration geologist, included various helicopter-based trips (using Russian Mil Mi-8 helicopters). One of these trips involved 4 days around western Mongolia and I had always wanted to return to the region and its spectacular scenery, especially the Tavan Bogd area. Due to the remote travel it was best done with at least two vehicles and Ian Thompson, Kevin Bryan, Sjef Ollers and Anja Palmans were keen; none of them had yet visited Mongolia.
I organised three land-cruisers through Erka (my work driver for over 3 years); I had last used him in 2016. He drove one vehicle whilst his son Kuchee and Erka’s friend Mugi drove the other two. They were all safe drivers and excellent bush mechanics and spent many hours servicing the cars, often late into the night. Erka’s niece Bella came along as our translator.
A limited selection of mammal photos is shown in section 6 of this report. A more extensive selection of trip and mammal photos is also available (80 pages, 70 MB). Continue reading