Around 100 frozen wolves were seized in the southern border town of Zamiin-Uud before they were smuggled in to China for the Lunar New Year. But since the dead wolves were not preserved in freezing conditions, the carcasses began to defrost and smell, which alerted the authorities. The 100 dead wolves have turned Zamiin-Uud into a morgue, but they cannot be disposed of until the court gives a judgment.

It seems a lot of effort had been put into smuggling the wolves. They had been stored in trucks in a specially concealed area for about a month before the attempt to cross the border before this one was about to close for the New Year Celebration.

This is not the only case of smuggling dead animals in to China. In another incident, train machinists were caught with 26 hidden gazelles, six wolves and 100 kilograms of meat.

Meat wolf in china sells for about MNT630 thousand, more than two months salary of most Mongolian.  A tongue costs around MNT25 thousand and a liver MNT20 thousand. On the other side, the price of a gazelle is less expensive and varies from MNT60 thousand to MNT100 thousand.

Wolves and gazelles are not the only animals being exported out of Mongolia. The illegal trade of Mongolian wildlife began with squirrel skin and was followed by deer antlers, tails, and genitals parts. And today even medicinal plants are being illegally exported.

Apparently wolf meat and skin have become of great value as gift in Mongolia’s neighbouring China.

There were around 30 thousand wolves in Mongolia ten years ago and its statue seems to be stable. Though Mongolians respect wolves as an animal with spiritual significance and seeing one – or killing one - is a high honour, wolf hunting is not banned in the country, more, it is the only animal that can be hunted all year long.

Эх сурвалж Өдрийн шуудан сонин