BANK OF MONGOLIA ISSUES PURE SILVER "MAZAALAI" COIN

Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ Initiated by the Bank of Mongolia, pure silver “Mazaalai” coin was issued in order to promote Gobi desert bear “Mazaalai”, one of the world’s critically endangered species. The coin has a millesimal fineness of 999, diameter of 38.61 mm and will be sold at MNT 300 thousand. With an aim to protect and promote the critically endangered “Mazaalai” bear to the world, the Bank of Mongolia is collecting the coin in frames of social responsibility and is offering it to the coin collectors around the world. Listed on Mongolian Red Book of Endangered Species, the population of Mazaalai included only 15-20 adults in 1960-1970 and 25-30 in 1980. According to the recent research, less than 30 Mazaalai bears are left. The low population of Gobi bears is explained by the deprivation of their main source of food as they mainly eat roots, berries and other plants, as well as rodents sometimes. Although scientists grew substitute plants, Gobi bears refuse to eat human-made food. B.Tugsbilig