In 1980 the Mongolianpopulation was estimated at 30,000 individuals bythe Mongolian Academy of Sciences. More recentestimates vary greatly, with the most recent fi guresindicating that there may be fewer than 10,000individuals remaining in Mongolia (Mech andBoitani, 2004). However, there is great uncertaintyassociated with these estimates and more extensivesurveys are needed to gain insight into the current population size. No population studies haveever been conducted to determine wolf population densities, distribution, pack size, or range(Wingard and Zahler, 2006). Generation length has been estimated as six years, based ondata from Nowak (1991). The observed declines in population size are believed to be causedprimarily by exploitation, persecution, and disease. It is clear that this species is declining, butthe rate of decline is diffi cult to determine. It is therefore listed as Near Threatened, but furthersurveys may reveal that it should be listed as Vulnerable or even Endangered under CriterionA. The assessment remains unchanged following application of regional criteria, as there is nosignifi cant immigration from adjacent countries.