Conservation genetics and population surveys of the critically endangered wild camel Camelus ferus in Mongolia.

The critically endangered wild camel, Camelus ferus, is a separate species to the domestic Bactrian camel, Camelus bactrianus. Surviving only in Mongolia and China, it has a narrow range of specialised Gobi Desert habitat. Added to this, its presumed small population and reduced genetic diversity leaves it threatened with extinction. Like many threatened species, conservation action has led to the creation of an ex-situ insurance population in Mongolia. The aim of this thesis was to use genetic research and timelapse camera trap distance sampling methods to improve our understanding of the species - both in the wild (in the Great Gobi A Special Protected Area in Mongolia), and in the ex-situ herd. Using a novel method of camera trap distance sampling using timelapse images we determined one of the first precise abundance estimates for the wild camel in the GGASPA, provisionally estimating the population to be 664 individuals (95% confidence intervals 400-1100). Despite the two species being separate, for Camelus ferus and Camelus bactrianus, common naming often confuses them. This is of importance when considering conservation implications. We used non-invasive genetic samples to determine that prevalence of introgression of DNA from domestic Bactrian camels Camelus bactrianus is extensive across the GGASPA, whilst also confirming that genetic diversity and inbreeding levels are comparable in both the in-situ and ex-situ wild camel populations. Finally, we looked at other ex-situ populations of critically endangered mammals, determining that they provide widely variable contributions to mitigating a taxon's extinction risk, which is inadequately assessed in conservation. All of this used together has improved our understanding of the threats that face the wild camel in Mongolia, both in the wild and in captivity. The data will continue to be used to inform further conservation management and to increase scientific and public awareness of the plight of the wild camel, with the overall aim of saving it from extinction.