Animals of the Altai Mountains

The Altai Mountains, sandwiched between Mongolia, Russia, Kazakhstan and China is a foreboding and rugged place. Even then, there is a lot of beauty in these mountains and anyone who takes one look cannot help, but marvel at them.A number of wild animals call these mountains home such as the majestic golden eagle, the Grey wolf, Argali sheep, snow leopard, Eurasian lynx, Siberian ibex, brown bear, Corsac fox, Mongolian gazelle and more.Many of these animals like the rare Argali sheep are endemic to the region. These are also several species of deer such as the forest reindeer, Altai wapiti, moose, Siberian musk deer and the Siberian roe deer. Wild boars are also found in the Altai mountains. Here is bit more about some of the special animals found in the Altai.

 

Golden eagle

Hunting with eagles is an old tradition. Some say, it goes back to 4000 years. The only people who still hunt with eagles live in the Altai region of Western Mongolia. It is a skill because eagles are temperamental. If they are not trained properly, the eagles can claw or bite or even get injured (if you don't handle them properly). The eagles can hunt rabbits and foxes. Only about 400 of these falconers are left so it is a dying art, even in the Altai.

Snow leopard

The snow leopard is an elusive creature. Their camouflaged fur gives them an incredible advantage in the ragged mountains where they live. It is difficult to spot one and if you do, count yourself incredibly lucky. The snow leopard preys on the Siberian Ibex and the Argali sheep. However, for all its power, the snow leopard just weights 55 kg at the max. To help it cope with the cold, the snow leopard has been blessed with the thickest fur among all the big cats. There are just about 6000 of these elegant big cats left and there is a large population in the Altai.

Siberian Ibex

With its long, curved horns the Siberian Ibex, a type of wild goat, is a sight to behold. It is usually found above the tree line, only coming down to escape from the cold in winter or to escape a predator like the snow leopard. Like the snow leopard, the Siberian Ibex is also endangered.

Brown bear

The brown bear is one of the largest land-based predators. A brown bear can weigh as much as 355 kg. They are even known to chased down deer. Brown bears are mostly nocturnal and hibernate in winter, when the weather is very cold and food supplies are low. Most of the bears' diet is composed of vegetation and they are opportunistic flesh eaters.