Last chance for the world’s largest wild sheep

NABU is coordinating an international UN action plan to protect the argali

With its mighty, curved horns, the argali is a symbol of the high mountains of Central Asia. On behalf of the United Nations Environment Programme, NABU is now coordinating an international action plan to give better protection to the world’s largest wild sheep.

Photo from Mongolia: an argali lamb follows its mother - photo: NABU/Richard Reading

23 April 2026 – the argali (Ovis ammon) is the world’s largest wild sheep. Weighing up to 220 kilograms, it lives in the high mountains and open landscapes of Central Asia, as well as in neighbouring regions of East Asia, the Himalayas, Tibet and the Altai Mountains. Not only is it an impressive sight, with its mighty horns; it also has great ecological importance as one of the main prey animals of the vulnerable snow leopard. If the argali population declines, this has a direct impact on the conservation of this big cat, whose survival is also threatened.

Drastic population decline

For years, argali populations have been under huge pressure. Poaching and the loss of suitable habitats have led to dramatic population declines in many regions. The species is therefore classified as threatened at both international and national level.

The argali is listed in Appendix II of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) and is regulated by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The species is also protected under the EU regulation on the protection of species of wild fauna and flora, the US Endangered Species Act (ESA), and several national Red Lists. The challenge now is to further strengthen species protection on the ground.

NABU to coordinate international action

Our snow leopard officer Khalil Kharimov brought this camera trap image of Marco Polo sheep (a subspecies of the argali) with him from Tajikistan - photo: Khalil Kharimov

NABU has now been entrusted with a leading role in the protection of this species, coordinating the international action plan for argali conservation on behalf of the United Nations Environment Programme. The plan encompasses all twelve range countries of the species and runs until 2032.

NABU has decades of experience to contribute: the organization has been active in Central Asia since the 1990s, working on nature and species conservation with local and international partners. As one of the most important prey animals of the snow leopard, the argali is a key to its protection. The UN action plan offers a unique opportunity to promote measures that will benefit both species.

We and our partners are committed to preserving argali populations in the long term – despite the ongoing destruction of nature and the sometimes difficult political conditions in the range states.

Jörg-Andreas Krüger

NABU President

Key areas of the action plan:

expanding scientific monitoring programmes,
strengthening cooperation between the range states,
improving wildlife management and
promoting sustainable economic perspectives for local people.

The aim of these measures it to achieve a long-term balance between the protection of the argali and the needs of the local population.