Status of Marco Polo sheep Ovis ammon polii in China and adjacent countries: Conservation of a Vulnerable subspecies

Abstract

To determine the status and distribution of the Vulnerable Marco Polo sheep or argali Ovis ammon polii surveys were made in the Pamir Mountains, where the Hindu Kush, Karakoram, and Kunlun ranges meet. In China a total of 851 Marco Polo sheep were observed within the Taxkorgan Nature Reserve and 1,448 north of the Reserve. No reliable population estimate is available for Tajikistan but in five census blocks totalling 1,977 km2 densities ranged from negligible to 1.4 km-2. A total of 624 sheep were counted in Afghanistan, and total numbers may approach 1,000. Fewer than 150 individuals are said to visit Pakistan seasonally. Hunting for meat has decimated the Marco Polo sheep populations in all four countries but with better protection they appear to be on the increase in China. Transboundary cooperation is essential if the species is to be adequately protected and managed as argali readily cross international borders, and a four-country Pamir Peace Park has been proposed and is under discussion. © 2008 Fauna and Flora International.