Mongolia: Enigmatic Wildlife Tours (EWT)

Mongolia needs little introduction – its wilderness is near-legendary, and it is home to the Mongol horsemen, descendants of the famous Ghengis and Kublai Khan. It remains a land as exotic as it is mysterious. Nomadic tribes still live on Asia’s most extensive plains, hemmed in by incredible mountain landscapes. Although the wildlife is the focus of our exploration of this area, it is hard not be impressed by the remarkable history and lifestyle of the Mongolian people. This tour targets two of the most amazing mammals on the planet, the “Gray Ghost” (Snow Leopard) and Pallas’ Cat. We have good chances for Snow Leopard at low altitudes and in summer (rather than in frigid winter in Ladakh, India – where most other groups go for the world’s most enigmatic big cat), but we will need to be glued to our scopes as we scan for this master of camouflage. In addition, we will see a slew of other wildlife on this summer trip, rather than be confined to the icy slopes of the high Himalayas in winter. Another “mega” mammal here is the Bactrian Camel; it is rarely seen, but we do have a chance of encountering some of the last 1400-odd remaining wild camels that persist in the Gobi, a remote wilderness where very few have ventured. Come in hope of that rather than expectation. But even the chance of finding this incredible double-humped rarity is enough to get the adrenaline flowing. We will be in one of the best areas on Earth for this beast. Pallas’s Cat is another possible target. This squat-faced alpine cat embodies everything that is a wildlife enigma: rare, stunning, strange, and desirable. Even with our focus on rare mammals, there will be plenty of time for birding too. We will target many of the amazing rare and local birds of Mongolia, including Altai Snowcock in the high-altitude Gobi, Henderson’s Ground-Jay, majestic Saker Falcons, the stunning Oriental Plover and local Relict Gull in breeding plumage, and the cryptic but elegant Pallas’s Sandgrouse. So this tour has it all! 
 
This 18-day tour is fairly comprehensive, and we cover more than enough terrain to get a real in-depth feel for Mongolia and nearly everything it has to offer, including spending a few nights in the famous Ger (yurt) tents, as well as some mobile smaller A-frame tented camps that will be rustic (the only accommodation in the most remote and beautiful of Mongolia’s landscapes). We also stay in a few hotels and enjoy the comfort of Hustai NP not too far from Ulanbataar. This glorious wilderness area is where the Przewalski’s Horse was re-introduced after it was saved from extinction, and they breed there now. We might also encounter Siberian Jerboa, Steppe Polecat, and Mongolian Lark.