Wildlife Conservation

I am passionate about environmental issues and especially admire the work of conservationists and local communities they work with to preserve wildlife and nature parks across the world. I am happy to have had the support of various editors and news platforms who also believe in these stories, however obscure or quirky some may have been, and helped produce and publish news features and articles on wildlife and conservation issues from little heard of remote regions of remote countries. These are a few stories I have worked on over the years as a video journalist and writer.

Al Jazeera: Mongolia races to preserve two-humped camels

The two-humped Bactrian camel helped people settle and adapt to life in the Gobi desert of Mongolia, but their numbers have rapidly decreased in the last few decades. The Gobi desert is also home to the only surviving species of wild camel in the world. Conservationists say preventing crossbreeding with domestic Bactrian camels is critical for preserving both species. Al Jazeera’s Pearly Jacob reports from Gobi-Altai in southwest Mongolia.

Al Jazeera: Rare wild antelope facing extinction in Mongolia

A rare species of wild antelope in Mongolia is facing extinction because of a highly contagious disease. Almost 4,000 saiga have already died and scientists expect the total to reach 10,000 within the next two months. Al Jazeera’s Pearly Jacob reports from the province of Gobi-Altai.

Al Jazeera: Tajikistan conservation: Wildlife parks face human threats

Pamir Mountains, in eastern Tajikistan, is home to many forms of endangered wildlife. Conservation efforts helped them survive after poaching during a civil war in the 1990s. But now, the only strictly protected reserve where hunting is prohibited is facing a new threat. Al Jazeera’s Pearly Jacob reports from the Zorkul Nature Reserve.

Al Jazeera: Mongolia’s nesting programme attempts to save the prized saker falcon

Mongolia is home to the Saker falcon, which is a bird prized in the Middle East known for its speed and stealth to catch prey in the desert. But it’s an endangered bird. Al Jazeera’s Pearly Jacob reports from Ulaanbaatar on an artificial nesting programme, which is trying to ensure the Saker’s survival.

EurasiaNet.org: Mongolia’s Endangered Gobi Bear Struggles Against Climate Change

Deep in southwest Mongolia, in the arid shadow of the Altai Nuruu Mountains, a little-known bear ekes out a perilous existence. The Gobi Desert has a host of endangered wildlife, but today the Gobi bear — a subspecies of the Brown bear known to scientists as Ursus arctos gobiensis — is one of the most threatened animals in the world. Scientists estimate only 22 to 30 of the bears are left, all in the wild where they face shrinking water supplies thanks to global warming.

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Ranger Bold inspects barb wires used as fur traps for signs of Gobi bear activity below a mounted camera trap.

Spread over 53000 sq. kms., the Great Gobi Strictly Protected Area ‘A’ is home to many critically endangered wildlife species.

Byantooroi is the last village along the Gobi-Altai border with China and is the HQ of the Great Gobi Strictly Protected Area.

Forest rangers collect drinking water from a small stream formed in the ruts of a passing ranger jeep. Scarcity of water is the biggest problem wildlife here faces with decreasing rainfall due to climate change.

Bear expert Harry Reynolds demonstrates shows the GPS collars they hope to fit on Gobi Bears.

The Gobi Bear Project scored its first visual documentation with a camera trap snapping a photo of a bear near a feeding station in June 2005. Since then, 10 bears have been captured and fitted with radio collars.

EurasiaNet.org: Ulaanbaatar Signs Up Nature’s Engineers to Restore River

Ulaanbaatar is importing foreign experts to combat falling water levels in Mongolia’s third longest river. Qualifications include sharp incisors, flat tails and webbed toes.

Meet the Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber). If all goes according to plan, the task of restoring the headwaters of the Tuul River will be left to these rotund rodents, with extra thanks to Germany and Russia. At home, due to poaching, their numbers have declined sharply in the past 20 years. But in May, Germany gifted 14, and Russia another 30—just for this special task.

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Freedome cut short, the beaver is netted and placed back in its cage. 16 of them were released in the Tuul on the 8th of August.

An Eurasian Beaver from Russia enjoys temporary freedom in a small pool for visiting journalists and officials. The beavers were kept in quarantine for slightly over a month before 16 of them were released in the Tuul.

Russian biologist Alexander Pavlovich carries a Russian beaver, one of the 30 he accompanied from Kirov, Russia – for display to local journalist.

Russian biologist Alexander Pavlovich poses with an Eurasian beaver he delivered from Kirov, Russia.

A local offcial from the city council examines the beaver family at the makeshift accimatization center. Plans are to build a proper facilities for the beavers which will be bred in captivity before releasing their offspring.