The most recent update to the IUCN Red List, announced in October 2025, includes a significant reclassification of the Wild Camel (Camelus ferus) by the Antelope Specialist Group. The last formal assessment was completed more than fifteen years ago. With new data and research, the species’ current conservation status has now been accurately evaluated.
In consultation with the Wild Camel Protection Foundation (WCPF), the Chinese Academy of Forestry, and independent experts in both China and Mongolia, the Wild Camel has been re-assessed and classified as Endangered, reflecting its small, fragmented population and increasing threats across its limited range.
Today, Wild Camels occur in only three regions: the Taklimakan Desert in Xinjiang (China), the Kumtagh Desert region spanning Xinjiang and Gansu (China), and the Great Gobi A Strictly Protected Area (GGASPA) in southwestern Mongolia, along with adjacent border zones of Xinjiang, Gansu, and Inner Mongolia.
In 2004, the estimated global population stood at approximately 950 individuals, around 600 in China and 350 in Mongolia, with numbers continuing to decline. Since then, wild camel was classified as Critically Endangered. The latest assessments, however, indicate a modest recovery, with current estimates ranging from 640–740 individuals in China and 400–1,100 in Mongolia, giving a combined total of 1,040–1,840 Wild Camels. Adults comprise roughly 75% of the population, or 780–1,380 mature individuals. Though this figure may be slightly inflated, as it does not account for declining fertility among older animals.
The Wild Camel faces multiple, growing threats. Climate change and water scarcity are among the most severe, as these camels rely on limited desert water sources increasingly depleted by livestock, human use, and prolonged droughts. Rising temperatures and shrinking waterholes are reducing suitable habitat, with nearly half of the species’ range projected to disappear by mid-century. Protecting climate refuges, restoring water sources, and improving habitat connectivity are critical for survival.
Hybridization with domestic Bactrian camels is another serious concern. In parts of Mongolia, crossbreeding, sometimes intentional, has led to the mixing of domestic and wild genes, threatening the species’ genetic integrity.
Mining, infrastructure, and road development continue to fragment the Wild Camel’s fragile desert range, destroying habitat and increasing human disturbance. New industrial and transport projects across the Gobi and Tarim deserts further isolate populations and degrade key ecosystems.
The remaining Wild Camel groups are small and isolated, with low genetic diversity and signs of inbreeding that reduce resilience to environmental change. Although illegal hunting has largely subsided, the species remains highly vulnerable to climate impacts and habitat loss.
Despite the IUCN reclassification of the Wild Camel from Critically Endangered to Endangered, this DOES NOT indicate recovery. The change reflects updated data, not reduced threats. The species remains at high risk and continued conservation efforts are urgently needed to ensure its survival.
Reference
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Wild Camel
https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/63543/50197851