The Mongolian Altai creates vertical ecosystems where five biomes coexist on a single mountain slope. Home to the elusive snow leopard, world-record Argali sheep, and a living 4,000-year tradition of eagle hunting.
🐆Snow Leopard
● Vulnerable · ~1,000 in Mongolia
'Ghost of the Mountains'. An apex predator found above 3,000m. Solitary, territorial — each individual needs 200 km².
Habitat: Rocky ridges, cliff faces, and high-altitude grassland of the Altai, Khangai, and Khentii ranges
Threats: Retaliatory killing, poaching for bones and pelts, prey depletion from over-hunting of argali
Best time: Feb–Mar (snow tracks visible; camera traps most productive)
🐑Argali
● Near Threatened · ~50,000
World's largest wild sheep. Rams weigh up to 180kg. Kazakh eagle hunters have trained eagles to drive argali for millennia.
Habitat: Open alpine meadows and rocky ridgelines above 2,500m in Altai and Khangai mountains
Threats: Overhunting; competition with domestic livestock; habitat degradation near herder settlements
Best time: Oct–Nov (rut — rams battle dramatically on open ridges)
🦅Golden Eagle
● Least Concern · Stable
Trained by Kazakh hunters for 4,000 years. The Altai Golden Eagle Festival every October draws thousands of global visitors.
Habitat: Open mountain terrain with rocky nesting cliffs. Hunts on alpine meadows and steppe
Threats: Electrocution; lead poisoning from scavenging shot carcasses; nest disturbance
Best time: Oct (Golden Eagle Festival, Bayan-Ölgii)
🐐Ibex
● Least Concern · Common
Expert climber of near-vertical cliff faces. Males hurl themselves off ledges at each other during the winter rut.
Habitat: Steep rocky cliffs and talus slopes of the Mongolian Altai, 2,000–4,000m
Threats: Hunting for horns and meat; competition with livestock
Best time: Dec–Jan (rut — groups visible on open cliff faces)
🐓Altai Snowcock
● Least Concern · Stable
High-altitude bird found above 3,000m. Its echoing calls drift across glacial valleys at dawn.
Habitat: Alpine scree, rocky meadows, and snowfields above the treeline in the Altai
Threats: Climate-driven habitat loss; disturbance from trekkers
Best time: Jun–Aug (trekking season)
🌸Edelweiss
● Least Concern · Stable
Symbol of alpine beauty and resilience. Covered in white felt-like hairs to reflect UV radiation at high altitude.
Habitat: Rocky alpine meadows and scree slopes, 2,500–4,000m, throughout Mongolian Altai
Threats: Picking by tourists; climate-driven upslope migration
Best time: Jun–Aug (full bloom)
🌿Alpine Wormwood
● Least Concern · Common
Aromatic herb used in traditional Mongolian medicine for centuries. Carpets high-altitude meadows in silver-green.
Habitat: Dry alpine slopes and steppe-alpine transition zones throughout highland Mongolia
Threats: Overgrazing; overharvesting for traditional medicine
Best time: Jun–Sep (aromatic in summer heat)