Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Mongolia has numerous saltwater and freshwater lakes, which are great for camping,
birdwatching, hiking, swimming and fishing. The largest is the low-lying, saltwater Uvs
Nuur, but the most popular is the magnificent Khövsgöl Nuur, the second-oldest lake in
the world, which contains 65% of Mongolia's (and 2% of the world's) fresh water.
ECO-WARRIOR
Tsetsegee Munkhbayar, a herder from central Mongolia, is Mongolia's most famous
eco-warrior. In 2007 Munkhbayar won the prestigious Goldman Environmental Pr-
ize for his efforts to block aggressive mining on the Ongii River.
He has since turned increasingly radical, leading a group called Gal Undesten
(Fire Nation) on periodic stunts that some have called 'eco-terrorism'. Several
times the group has shot up equipment at mining sites, and in 2011 members shot
arrows at the parliament building in UB, in protest of government mining policies.
In 2013 Munkhbayar and four others were arrested after brandishing rifles and
hand grenades at a mining protest in the capital. In January 2014, a court found
Munkhbayar and his friends guilty of 'domestic terrorism' and sentenced them to
21½ years in jail.
Wildlife
In Mongolia, the distinction between domestic and wild (or untamed) animals is often
blurry. Wild and domesticated horses and camels mingle on the steppes with wild asses
and herds of wild gazelles. In the mountains there are enormous (and horned) wild argali
sheep and domesticated yaks along with wild moose, musk deer and roe deer.
Reindeer herds are basically untamed, but strangely enough they can be ridden and are
known to return to the same tent each night for a salt-lick.
PROTECTED AREAS
The Ministry of Nature and Green Development and its Department of Special Pro-
tected Areas Management control the national park system with an annual budget
of around US$4 million. The 76 protected areas in Mongolia now constitute an im-
pressive 17.4% of the country (223,000 sq km). The strictly protected areas of Bo-
gdkhan Uul, Great Gobi, Uvs Nuur Basin, Dornod Mongol and Khustain are bio-
sphere reserves included in Unesco's Man and Biosphere Network.
The government has a goal of protecting 30% of Mongolia (potentially creating
the world's largest park system). This goal, however, has stalled in recent years as
