500 Tögrög Brown bear

Mongolia's brown bear (Ursus arctos gobiensis) population is concentrated in the Gobi desert — one of the most extreme environments inhabited by any bear subspecies on earth — with current estimates placing fewer than 50 individuals remaining, making it arguably the rarest bear population in the world. The Gobi bear, locally called mazaalai, holds protected status under Mongolian law and appears on the national Red List. This issue is part of a broader Bank of Mongolia wildlife series that has drawn consistent collector attention since the early 2000s.