By Rajni Pandey | 30 July 2025
The Gobi bear, also known as Mazaalai, survives in Mongolia’s harsh Gobi Desert—one of the most extreme environments on Earth.
Image: BBC Video
Fewer than 40 Gobi bears remain in the wild, making them one of the rarest bear species on the planet.
Image: BBC Video
Unlike other bears, Gobi bears are extremely isolated, rarely encountering their own kind due to the vast desert terrain.
Image: BBC Video
Their diet consists mostly of roots, berries, and dry grasses. They rarely get meat, which adds to their survival challenge.
Image: BBC Video
Gobi bears are smaller than other brown bears, an adaptation to their limited food and harsh desert conditions.
Image: BBC Video
Unlike most bears, Gobi bears don’t fully hibernate. Winters in the Gobi aren’t snowy enough to create proper dens.
Image: BBC Video
Genetically, they are a unique subspecies of brown bear, believed to have survived in isolation for thousands of years.
Image: BBC Video
Mining, climate change, and water scarcity are putting even more pressure on their fragile desert ecosystem.
Image: BBC Video
Conservationists and Mongolian authorities are working to save them, with feeding stations and population monitoring.
Image: BBC Video
Despite extreme odds, the Gobi bear continues to endure—a symbol of nature’s quiet, determined fight to survive.
Image: BBC Video