Rare Gobi Bear spotted in Xinjiang for first time

Experts from the Chinese Academy of Forestry recently spotted a wild Gobi bear in Yiwu county, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, marking the first time the bear has been found in the region, according to China Central Television.

The Gobi bear is the only species in the Gobi desert. It is the national bear of Mongolia, with its status equivalent to that of the giant panda in China.

Gobi bear experts have verified the species using photos and videos collected by the Chinese Academy of Forestry experts.

According to local authorities, images of the bear have been recorded since 2020 at Xiamaya township, which is just 20 kilometers away from the China-Mongolia border.

There are only about 50 Gobi bears in the wild. They live at a reserve in Mongolia, adjacent to China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and Gansu province.

A satellite-monitoring collar placed on a bear by Mongolian scientists showed that it crossed the China-Mongolia border in 2015. It stayed in Yiwu county for over a month before returning to Mongolia.

Local environment and bio-diversity protection have improved in recent years thanks to the local government's efforts to ban gazing in key areas.