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Where are wild camels found in the Takla Makan Desert region?

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Map of Asia highlighting the location of the Takla Makan Desert in northwestern China, with the desert area shaded in orange. Surrounding regions, including parts of Europe, Africa, and the Pacific Ocean, are shown for geographic context. An inset in the top right corner provides a global view with the desert's location marked. — Takla Makan Desert The Takla Makan Desert is flanked by high mountain ranges: the Tien Shan to the north, the Kunlun Mountains to the south, and the Pamirs to the west.

In the Takla Makan Desert, wild camels are now found only occasionally in the eastern desert region.1

While these animals once roamed across much of the Takla Makan as far as the Hotan River at the end of the 19th century, their range has significantly diminished. Today, the wild Bactrian camel (C. ferus) is a critically endangered species with a very limited global distribution, primarily found in small pockets of China and Mongolia.123