Sustainable conservation initiatives depend on the engagement and leadership of local communities, particularly those who regularly interact with wildlife and nature. In Mongolia, where approximately a third of the population practice nomadic or semi-nomadic pastoralism, this collaborative approach is essential. While Mongolia's nomadic traditions have sustained communities for millennia, rapid changes, including climatic shifts, economic development, and technological advancements, present both new challenges and opportunities for these traditional ways of life.
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Mongolia program works to balance environmental protection with sustainable development to ensure the long-term health of ecosystems and the resilience of local communities. A key part of our 2030 Strategy is strengthening and supporting local leadership, especially among herder communities. These communities possess invaluable traditional knowledge and firsthand experience of the challenges facing Mongolia’s ecological integrity.
A Guardian of the Gobi
Enkh-Amgalan at home in Nomgon, Umnugobi.
L. Enkh-Amgalan, a 65-year-old herder community ranger from Nomgon soum in Umnugobi Province in Southern Mongolia, exemplifies this community-led conservation. For over two decades, Enkh-Amgalan has dedicated himself to monitoring and protecting local wildlife and their habitats. He plays a vital role in informing locally led conservation by observing ecological conditions and changes within community-managed areas.
Based at his summer camp, a combination of two gers (Mongolian traditional yurts) and a retrofitted bus, he traverses the arid Gobi daily on his motorbike. With binoculars in hand, he observes the landscape, noting the numbers and behaviors of local species such as argali sheep and ibex.
The semi-arid steppe and mountainous terrain he monitors for the community group is home to argali sheep, ibex, and goitered gazelles. He even recalls a rare sighting of five khulan (Mongolian wild ass) during a particularly dry summer.
The well Enkh-Amgalan uses to water ibex and argali in Gobi.
Wildlife near herder camps can sometimes lead to negative interactions, particularly with snow leopards and grey wolves, but Enkh-Amgalan has found ways to promote coexistence. For over two decades, he has maintained a dedicated refuge area for wildlife near his livestock grazing ground. During the harsh, dry summer months of the gobi, he provides water, a critical and limited resource, to ibex and argali from a nearby well. In extreme "dzud" winters, when ice and snow cover the grass or little grass remains from a harsh summer, he leaves out grass for local wildlife. Other members of his community say his dedication to nature is an inspiration to them.
"When there’s a bad winter with dzud (extreme weather condition), ibex die off a lot, but the ones near the refuge area survive," Enkh-Amgalan observed with pride.
Ibex that live in the refuge area protected by Enkh-Amgalan and the community group.
Supporting Frontline Conservation
WCS Mongolia partners with seven herder groups across the southern Gobi, spanning the provinces of Umnogobi and Dornogobi. Some of these communities are formally recognized by local government, while others are in the early stages of organizing and working toward official recognition. Each plays a role in managing natural resources in their respective landscapes. Together, they help protect 3,184 km2 of the Gobi steppe ecosystem. In Umnogobi, these areas form a vital corridor between two protected areas, supporting the movement of wide-ranging and migratory species that depend on connected landscapes for survival.
This work includes supporting community-driven conservation activities in the Gobi, including empowering and equipping local conservation champions such as Enkh-Amgalan to contribute to the maintenance and restoration of biodiversity and ecological integrity at a landscape level.
Enkh-Amgalan riding his motorbike on patrol.
As a herder ranger, Enkh-Amgalan plays a central role in conservation efforts, regularly patrolling and observing the natural environment. "I’m at the frontline of conservation. We’re always out in nature. Day and night we are here, observing and patrolling. I encounter incidences often," he explains.
One of the biggest challenges for herder rangers like Enkh-Amgalan is keeping a reliable record of what they observe. "The thing we need most is a tool to document these incidents, such as a camera," he explains.
Enkh-Amgalan and WCS Mongolia staff observing the landscape.
SMART (spatial monitoring and reporting tool) has been introduced to herder community rangers by WCS Mongolia to support documenting wildlife, tracking human activities, and recording any unusual ecological changes. This technology facilitates immediate reporting of observations, locations (using GPS), and patrol distances, offering a structured approach for the community to understand what is happening in their area and take suitable preventative or adaptive measures. Enkh-Amgalan notes that SMART has significantly improved his ability to monitor wildlife and document human activities across the landscape.
Enkh-Amgalan sharing strories about his patrols with WCS Mongolia staff at home.
"If there’s no photo, I’m not sure anyone would believe me," he shares. SMART enables him to log monitoring routes, record distances (revealing he covers "70-80 km" daily, up from the "40-50 km" he previously estimated), and gather detailed information about wildlife presence and ecological conditions. This technological support is crucial for providing accurate, evidence-based data that helps guide community decisions and informs local government conservation efforts.
Shared annually with local authorities, this data not only builds transparency and trust but also helps elevate the voices of herder communities and ensures their efforts are recognized and supported.
Values Passed Down for Generations
Enkh-Amgalan's personal motivation stems from a deep-rooted connection to nature, influenced by his father's teachings.
"My father loved nature... He used to tell me that if I pursue hunting and alcohol, it would destroy my life. That’s why I chose to become a community ranger,” he shared. “We don’t get paid, but I’m living by my father’s words. I just want to protect nature. So here I am working with my bare hands. It’s by my own volition that I do this work."
WCS Mongolia is also learning from community rangers like Enkh-Amgalan, as traditional conservation know-how and culture are invaluable. Herder rangers like Enkh-Amgalan are not just observers — they are a bridge, guiding communities toward informed, proactive actions to conserve their pastures and landscapes.
Enkh-Amgalan surveys the landscape out when monitoring a route.
His efforts, alongside those of other community members, have brought tangible contributions to local conservation efforts despite the challenges of human-wildlife coexistence and conflicts.
We thank to Cartier for Nature for their generous support, SMART Partnership, Small Gobi Strictly Protected Area, and Nomgon Soum Environmental Agency and the Government of Mongolia for their collaboration, and all herder groups and their members for their commitment. These partnerships have been essential in making this work possible.
All photos by Benjamin Buckland.