1000 Tögrög Golden Gobi Bear

The Gobi bear — known locally as the Mazaalai — is one of the rarest bear subspecies on earth, with the wild population estimated at fewer than 40 individuals at the time this coin was issued. Mongolia designated it a strictly protected species decades ago, but habitat pressure and water source depletion in the Gobi continue to threaten the population. The Bank of Mongolia has issued wildlife-themed bullion in small fractional sizes primarily for the international collector market, where sub-gram gold pieces have found consistent demand since the mid-2010s.