Camelus ferus (Artiodactyla: Camelidae)

Camelus ferus Przewalski, 1878, correctly called the Wild Camel, occurs in only 3 disjunct areas with possibly 6 subpopulations in extreme desert environments in southwestern Mongolia and northwestern China. Although C. ferus is externally similar to the domestic Bactrian Camel (Camelus bactrianus), they diverged 0.7 to 2.3 mya based on analyses of mtDNA. Camelus ferus is classified as “Endangered” (EN) on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species and has protected status in Mongolia and China. About 780 to 1,380 mature C. ferus exist in the wild, with 26 captive individuals in China (as of 2022) and 40 in Mongolia (as of 2025) serving as insurance against extinction in the wild, with the potential for future reintroductions.