Wild Camel Protection Foundation News Archive

London to Beijing Rally posted 11/9/00

As a result of the efforts of Adam Williams (of Jardines and former head of the British Chamber of Commerce in China) who with Peter Batey and Patrick Holt drove a vintage car on our behalf in the recent rally from London to Beijing, we raised about £28,000 for the wild Bactrian camel protection.

This money was utilised to organise a joint conference between Mongolians and Chinese delegates to ensure wild camel protection in all the known habitats of the wild camel in both countries. We surprised ourselves by managing to extract the attached Letter of Intent from the Chinese and Mongolian vice-Ministers and as you will see from the conference resolutions there was much "affirmative action". In view of the mutual suspicion between the two counties we feel that this was quite a coup.

We hope that the Letter of Intent will ensure that the wild camel Sanctuary and other projects both in China and Mongolia will now be set up on a ten year basis with renewed funding from the Global Environment Facility and others.

Training Course – Ol Maisor, Laikipia, Kenya posted 31/12/04

From the end of January 2004 until the end of the first week in February 2004 the WCPF ran a training of trainers course in Kenya for the middle management staff from the wild Bactrian camel nature reserve in China and protected area in Mongolia. There were three participants from Mongolia and two from China. The course was supported by the Zoological Society of London who provided an excellent instructor, Dr Tim Wacher. Tim an experienced zoologist with extensive experience of desert ecosystems organised the course. Participants will, on their return to their respective countries, be in a position to instruct reserve and protected area staff in a system which will enhance the collection of data on wild Bactrian camels and other wildlife and vegetation. Using a GPS as a method for planning routes, recording sightings, Tim enabled the participants to extrapolate the information in a logical manner and on return to their headquarters transfer this information to a computer data base. A monitoring and recording booklet was also developed for use in the survey work. The methods taught are used internationally for monitoring and research field work. An additional benefit will be that for the very first time, Mongolians and Chinese, who are involved in identical work – wild Bactrian camel protection – will be able to communicate with each other on a regular basis, and exchange information using a ‘language’ with which they are familiar. It is also hoped that they will participate on a regular basis in monitoring surveys in each other’s protected areas.

The course was held on Ol Maisor, a ranch in Laikipia owned by co-trustee Jasper Evans. Towards the end of the training programme a three-day-field survey was organised with Jasper’s camels. This enabled the participants to implement skills they had been taught on the course. It also enabled the participants to study a working ranch which also manages to provide a diverse habitat for African wildlife. Jasper’s family and friends generously helped to ensure the training course ran smoothly and that the trainees were well fed and watered. It was a great success and we are grateful to them all. We would also like to thank, Dr Glyn Davies, the Conservation Director of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) firstly, for giving his full support to the course and secondly for providing such as excellent course co-ordinator in Dr Tim Wacher. Finally as part of the training course we discussed the captive camel breeding programme and the limited number of wild Bactrian camels there are in captivity. Dr Wacher recommended we establish an International Stud Book for the captive Bactrian camels using the IUCN guidelines. Further information including the conclusions from the training course can be found on our website.

Joint Conclusion

1. Chinese and Mongolian participants on the training course have jointly developed monitoring methods compatible with international standards on monitoring in desert ecosystems for use in Lop-Nor Wild Camel National Natural Reserve and Great Gobi A to standardize data on the Wild Bactrian camel.

2. After preparatory GPS training and practical field work, the training course has established data collection priorities such as, recording methods for sighting, tracks and sign, collection of sample materials etc, by species with particular emphasis on the Wild Bactrian camels

3. Data recording sheets, compatible with those prepared in Mongolia, have been jointly developed by the training course participants and the Wild Camel Protection Foundation and the Zoological Society of London. The aim of this is to record information on a consistent basis by ranger patrols. The system can also be used by all other research teams.

4. The training course has enabled the participants to undertake training of rangers, researchers and staff administration in their own countries’ protected areas /nature reserve/ for monitoring to a high standard the wild Bactrian camels and other species.

5. The participants by training together have:
· Exchanged information
· Improved bi-lateral communications
· Agreed a future system of information exchange
· Agreed to participate in each others research surveys

6. Joint training and field work in Ol Maisor in Kenya, provided an excellent environment to undertake training and gain experience in a community-based wildlife and domestic livestock management system.

Joint Recommendations

1. The participants jointly agreed to report on the training course.

2. The Mongolian participants reported on their plan to arrange a visit to Gansu, China in March /April/ 2005 to discuss; in Lanzhou Wild Bactrian camel conservation and management, including trans-boundary migration and in Wuwei; captive Wild Bactrian camel breeding. The participants recommend that Wild camel protection Foundation does everything possible to facilitate this visit.

3. The participants have agreed to choose survey areas and routes, appropriate to differing conditions in their respective protected areas /nature reserves.

4. The UNDP/Ministry of Nature and Environment of Mongolia “Conservation of the Great Gobi Ecosystem and its Umbrella species project“ plan to hold a workshop in Mongolia at the end of 2005 on “Wild Bactrian camel conservation and management”. The participants recommend that an agenda item for the workshop includes a topic for further development of information exchange on Wild Bactrian Camel in China and Mongolia.

5. The participants recommend on extension of DNA sample collection from Wild Bactrian camels, domestic and hybrid Bactrian camels in China and Mongolia, and Wild Camel Protection Foundation agrees to facilitate sample analysis.

6. The participants recommend the organization of a Stud Book Record for Wild Bactrian camel Captive Breeding management. Wild Camel Protection Foundation agrees to investigate the existing systems, for example, as advised by International Union for Conservation of Nature/Captive Breeding Specialist Group and then establish the Stud Book.

7. The participants recommend for the Chinese and Mongolian protected areas/Nature Reserve administrations support staff exchange for research, surveys and training.

8. In conclusion it was recommended to continue the close collaboration with Wild Camel Protection Foundation and Zoological Society of London and develop international student and expert cooperation in Wild Bactrian camel protected areas and Nature reserves.