The wildlife flourishes in Mongolia despite an extreme climate and the nomadic fondness for hunting. Despite the lack of water in the Gobi, some species survive and many of which are endangered including the wild camel or khavtgai, wild ass or khulan, Gobi argali sheep, Gobi bear mazaalai, ibex and black-tailed gazelle.

In the wide open steppe you may see the rare saiga antelope, Mongolian gazelle, the jerboa rodent that is endemic to Central Asia and millions of furry marmots busy waking up after the last hybernation, or preparing for the next.

Further in the forests live the wild boar, brown bear, antelope, wolf, reindeer, elk, musk deer and moose, as well as plenty of sable and lynx whose furs, unfortunately, in high demand. Most of the mountains are extremely remote, thus providing an ideal habitat for argali sheep, very rare snow leopard and smaller mammals such as the fox, ermine and hare.

Mongolia is home to over 400 species of birds. In the desert you may see the desert warbler, houbara bustard and saxaul sparrow, as well as sandgrouse, finch and the cinereous vulture.

On the steppes, you wil certainly see the most common bird in Mongolia - the grey demoiselle cranes - as well as varieties of hoopoes, the odd eagle and vulture. Other steppe species include the upland buzzard, steppe eagle, saker falcon, black kite and some assorted owls and hawks.

In the mountains mountains, you may be lucky to spot species of ptarmigan, finch, woodpecker, owl and the endemic Altai snowcock. The lakes of the west and north are visited by Dalmatian pelicans, hooded cranes, relict gulls, and bar-headed geese.

Eastern Mongolia has the largest breeding population of cranes, including the hooded and Siberian varieties and the critically endangered white-naped crane, of which only 4500 remain in the wild.