Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals SECOND RANGE STATE MEETING OF THE CMS CENTRAL ASIAN MAMMALS INITIATIVE (CAMI) 25 - 28 September 2019, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia UNEP/CMS/CAMI2/Inf.3 MAPPING TRANSBOUNDARY HOTSPOTS FOR THE CENTRAL ASIAN MAMMALS INITIATIVE (Draft report prepared by Stefan Michel) Mapping Transboundary Conservation Hotspots for the Central Asian Mammals Initiative Report – Draft 2 for CAMI Range States Representatives and Species Focal Points, revised based on comments by the CMS Secretariat and Stefan Michel Erfurt, 13.09.2019 Disclaimer: The content of this draft report is the sole responsibility of the author and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the CMS Secretariat. 1 Table of content Table of content .................................................................................................................................... 2 Abbreviations ......................................................................................................................................... 4 1. Background .................................................................................................................................... 5 2. Working approach and methods ................................................................................................ 7 3. Characteristics of the species ..................................................................................................... 9 3.1 General remarks......................................................................................................................... 9 3.2 Asiatic cheetah Acinonyx jubatus venaticus ........................................................................ 10 3.3 Wild camel Camelus ferus ...................................................................................................... 12 3.4 Bukhara deer Cervus hanglu bactrianus .............................................................................. 14 3.5 Przewalski’s horse or Takhi Equus ferus ............................................................................. 17 3.6 Asiatic wild ass Equus hemionus .......................................................................................... 18 3.7 Chinkara Gazella bennettii ..................................................................................................... 21 3.8 Goitered gazelle Gazella subgutturosa ................................................................................ 22 3.9 Argali Ovis ammon ................................................................................................................... 25 3.10 Urial Ovis vignei ..................................................................................................................... 29 3.11 Persian leopard Panthera pardus saxicolor ....................................................................... 32 3.12 Snow leopard Panthera uncia .............................................................................................. 35 3.13 Mongolian gazelle Procapra gutturosa ............................................................................... 39 3.14 Saiga antelope Saiga tatarica .............................................................................................. 41 4. List of potential trans-boundary conservation hotspots ........................................................ 46 4.1 List of potential sites ................................................................................................................ 46 4.2. Characteristics of sites ........................................................................................................... 49 Site ID: 1 Name: High Pamirs Countries: AFG-CHN-TJK .......................................... 49 Site ID: 2 Name: T.b.d. Countries: AFG-IRN ................................................................ 52 Site ID: 3 Name: Wakhan Countries: AFG-TJK ........................................................... 55 Site ID: 4 Name: Panj River valley-Tigrovaya Balka Countries: AFG-TJK ................ 58 Site ID: 5 Name: Panj River valley Countries: AFG-TJK ............................................. 60 Site ID: 6 Name: Badghyz Countries: AFG-(IRN?)-TKM ............................................. 62 Site ID: 7 Name: Aral Paygambar Countries: AFG –(TKM)-UZB ............................... 66 Site ID: 8 Name: Jungarian Alatau Countries: CHN-KAZ ............................................ 68 Site ID: 9 Name: Tarbagatay/Saur Ranges Countries: CHN-KAZ .............................. 70 Site ID: 10 Name: Khan Tengri region Countries: CHN-KAZ-KGZ .............................. 73 2 Site ID: 11 Name: Altai Countries: CHN-KAZ-MNG-RUS .............................................. 75 Site ID: 12 Name: Southern Tien Shan Countries: CHN-KGZ ...................................... 78 Site ID: 14 Name: Gobi desert / Yin mountains Countries: CHN-MNG ....................... 80 Site ID: 15 Name: South-western Gobi Countries: CHN-MNG ..................................... 83 Site ID: 16 Name: Jungarian Gobi Countries: CHN-MNG ............................................. 86 Site ID: 17 Name: Daurian steppe Countries: CHN-MNG-RUS.................................... 89 Site ID: 18 Name: Kopet Dagh Countries: IRN-TKM ...................................................... 92 Site ID: 19 Name: Western Kyrgyz Range Countries: KAZ-KGZ ................................. 95 Site ID: 20 Name: Northern Tien Shan Countries: KAZ-KGZ........................................ 97 Site ID: 21 Name: Western Tien Shan Countries: KAZ-KGZ-UZB ............................... 99 Site ID: 22 Name: Ural Steppe Countries: KAZ-RUS ................................................... 101 Site ID: 23 Name: Northern Betpakdala Countries: KAZ-RUS.................................... 103 Site ID: 24 Name: South-western Ustyurt Countries: KAZ-TKM ................................. 105 Site ID: 25 Name: Eastern Ustyurt Countries: KAZ-UZB ............................................. 109 Site ID: 26 Name: Aral Sea / Western Kyzylkum Desert Countries: KAZ-UZB .......... 112 Site ID: 27 Name: Eastern Turkestan Range Countries: KGZ-TJK............................ 115 Site ID: 28 Name: Pamir-Alai Countries: KGZ-TJK-UZB ............................................. 117 Site ID: 29 Name: Eastern Sayan Countries: MNG-RUS ............................................ 119 Site ID: 30 Name: Western Hissar Mountains Countries: TJK-UZB .......................... 122 Site ID: 31 Name: Zerafshan river valley Countries: TJK-UZB ................................... 124 Site ID: 32 Name: Western Turkestan Range Countries: TJK-UZB ........................... 127 Site ID: 33 Name: Babatag Countries: TJK-UZB .......................................................... 129 Site ID: 34 Name: Lower Amudarya Countries: TKM-UZB .......................................... 132 Site ID: 35 Name: Kugitang/Koytendag Countries: TKM-UZB .................................... 134 5. Discussion and Recommedations .......................................................................................... 136 5.1 Determination of priority sites ............................................................................................... 136 5.2 Recommendations ................................................................................................................. 141 6. References................................................................................................................................. 143 Annex .................................................................................................................................................. 149 3 Abbreviations AoI – Area of Interest AOO – Area of Occupancy CAMI – Central Asian Mammals Initiative CITES – Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species CMS – Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals EOO – Extent of Occurrence IUCN – International Union for the Conservation of Nature MME – Mass Mortality Event(s) MSF – Michael Succow Foundation (Germany) NABU – Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (Germany) NP – National Park PoW – Program of Work PPR – Peste des Petits Ruminants (sheep and goat plague) SPA – Strictly Protected Area (zapovednik) SSC – Species Survival Commission of the IUCN TA(s) – Transboundary area(s) WCS – Wildlife Conservation Society (USA) WWF – Worldwide Fund for Nature Abbreviations for Range States: AFG – Afghanistan CHN – China, Peoples Republic of IRN – Iran, Islamic Republic of KAZ – Kazakhstan, Republic of KGZ – Kyrgyz Republic MNG – Mongolia RUS – Russian Federation TJK – Tajikistan, Republic of TKM – Turkmenistan UZB – Uzbekistan, Republic of Abbreviations for Species: ACJU – Asiatic cheetah Acinonyx jubatus venaticus CAFE – Wild camel Camelus ferus CEHA – Bukhara deer Cervus hanglu bactrianus EQFE – Przewalski’s horse Equus ferus przewalskii EQHE – Asiatic wild ass Equus hemionus GABE – Chinkara Gazella bennettii GASU – Goitered gazelle Gazella subgutturosa OVAM – Argali sheep Ovis ammon OVVI – Urial sheep Ovis vignei PAPA – Persian leopard Panthera pardus saxicolor PAUN – Snow leopard Panthera uncia PRGU – Mongolian gazelle Procapra gutturosa SATA – Saiga antelope Saiga tatarica (incl. S. borealis) 4 1. Background The Central Asian Mammals Initiative (CAMI) is implemented under the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS). CAMI aims at the conservation of 15 migratory large mammal species