The wild Bactrian Camel is critically endangered

Even though most camels are domesticated, the few wild Bactrian camels that are still alive are in grave danger. Wild Bactrian camels, which are recognized as a distinct species from the domesticated Bactrian camel, are restricted to just four locations: the Great Gobi Section A Strictly Protected Area in Mongolia, the Taklamakan Desert, the Lake Lop Camel National Reserve, and the Gashun Gobi in northwest China.

There are thought to be less than 1,000 wild Bactrian camels left, and over the next 45 to 50 years, their number is predicted to drop by as much as 80%. Subsistence hunting, wolf predation, habitat deterioration, and competition with farmed Bactrian camels for resources are some of the threats facing wild Bactrian camels. Being the seventh most endangered big animal in the world, the possible repurposing of the wild Bactrian camel's habitat for industrial use poses a threat to the species in China. To fix this, through a breeding effort at the Hunter Hall Wild Camel Breeding Centre in Mongolia, the Wild Camel Protection Foundation is attempting to prevent the extinction of wild Bactrian camels. 35 wild camels are living at the existing center, and five of them will give birth in 2020.