Another successful Manul Tour
by Jim Sanderson
with Steppe Wildlife
For my 2024 Manul Tour, I was joined by four of SWCCF's financial partners and my colleague from Iran. Four of the participants met at the Flower Hotel in Mongolia's capital UlaanBaatar. My flight had been cancelled before I left home so I arrived a day late and was met at the airport. Our first two nights were at Hustai Wild Horse Reserve. Comfortable in our separate gers (the Mongolian version of a yurt), one day after the June solstice and the longest day of the year, 21 June, we were treated to a snow storm. Heavy rains made Hustai's unimproved roads impassible. Nevertheless, the very first day we observed wild horses. We also observed a large herd of Elk (or Red deer) high on a mountainside. As in the past, Marmots and their young were numerous, active, and easily observed.
After two nights at Hustai, we met our colleague from Australia in UlaanBaatar then made the long 670 km drive to Manul Camp, stopping frequently along the way for snacks, lunch, and bathroom breaks. Before nightfall, we reached Manul Camp where our partners Buyanna and Ogi, Steppe Wildlife, welcomed us. We quickly settled into our new accommodations. A couple shared a ger and four of us paired up and settled into a newly constructed three room framed house. A shower and the bathrooms were a short walk away.
During our stay, three gers were occupied by BBC and National Geographic contract photographers filming Manul for new documentaries. Manul Camp is located near the village of Sukhbaatar in the vast rolling grasslands and high plateaus of SE Mongolia. This is A-Number-One-Prime Manul habitat. The ground was pock-marked with Brandt's voles burrows. A step could not be taken without seeing voles scurrying from one hole to the next.
Our tour coincided with Manul kitten time as well. Kittens were abundant, active, and easily observed. I posted many reels @smallwildcats. We also observed a few Mongolian gazelle but these are nowhere common. Steppe eagles and Sakar falcons were abundant and also observed. Mohamed bin Zayed Raptor Conservation Fund supports two of my colleagues erecting Sakar falcons nest boxes. Corsac foxes and pups were everywhere skittish but from a distance easily observed.
We stayed at Manul Camp for six nights, then made the long return drive to the Flower Hotel. As per previous tours, we enjoyed our last dinner together at the Indian restaurant at the Flower Hotel. I am already planning 2025's Manul Tour for October. We will first travel to western Mongolia with Steppe Wildlife. A new tour that includes another wild cat species will premier. Then we travel to Sukhbaatar for a week at Manul Camp. I already know I will not be traveling alone. Don't be late.
Colocolo Camp
by Carlos Castro, Chile
The Colocolo Project
Last weekend, the second Colocolo Camp was held in the village of Vilches Alto, Chile. Colocolo Camp offers young people from different rural schools the chance to visit the homes of Colocolo (Leopardus colocola) and Guigna (L. guigna). Experts presented information about small wild cats, their habitats and prey, how to use trail cameras, and the science behind small wild cat conservation.
Colocolo Camp offers the opportunity for young people to get out of the classroom and visit the environments where the wild cats live. The younger people learn, the more interested and curious they become. Colocolo Camp is made possible by our generous financial partners. I wish to thank our financial partners for the beautiful awards that served to increase the interest of young people. We also thank Biota Maule, our important partner in conservation and environmental education, for hosting Colocolo Camp.
We believe that the snow that fell made this Colocolo Camp unforgettable and inspired even more future conservationists.
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