Please support Team Hongolia www.londontomongolia.co.uk

The Mongol Rally 2006

This is a great organisation that not only carries out world-class research and conservation but also works closely with the local community, Mongolian Universities and herders. Their approach not only benefits the endangered and little studied species but the local economy and community as well.

The steppes of Mongolia harbour a unique and diverse community of carnivores. Among the species that range across the grassland and semi-desert steppes include the corsac fox ( Vulpes corsac ), red fox ( V. vulpes ), Pallas' cat ( Otocolobus manul ), Eurasian badger ( Meles meles ), and wolf ( Canis lupus lupus ). These species are thought to be vital to the health of steppe ecosystems, yet little is known of their local ecology or community-level interactions. Carnivores also face a myriad of threats in the steppes and receive little protection outside of 'Strictly Protected Areas'. In many regions, the current level of hunting of carnivores for fur, body parts, and live animals has become unsustainable, and may result in localised extinctions and severely altered environments if not dealt with swiftly.

The project will provide valuable information that can be applied to conservation immediately. The project will yield much needed data on the distribution and abundance of carnivores in steppe habitats, resources relied upon by carnivores, how populations respond to hunting, and the magnitude of over-hunting and poaching. Information gathered by the project will be implemented into action through a conservation programme in conjunction with our partner organisations including the Mongolian Academy of Sciences and Mongolian Conservation Cooperative. The programme will develop science-based management policies that benefit carnivores, curb the impacts of hunting and illegal poaching, and provide training and tools that will enable rural Mongolians to manage wildlife.

All funds donated will go exclusivley to the projects in Mongolia