Not Yellowstone? This Asian country claims the world’s first national park

The 42nd US Congress established Yellowstone as the nation’s first national park in March 1872. Many Americans have grown up believing that Yellowstone was also the first national park in the world - ie. officially designated for conservation purposes due to its unparalleled national natural, historic, or cultural significance.

But it turns out that over on the other side of the world, Mongolia might well have beaten them to it.

Bogd Khan Uul, legally protected since the 13th Century

Bogd Khan Uul nature reserve in the Khentii Mountains, just south of the capital, Ulaanbaatar was designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1996. But its connection to Chinggis Khan (Genghis Khan), who founded the Mongol empire in the 1200s, could means it predates Yellowstone as the world’s oldest legally protected area by several centuries.

According to the ancient book, “Secret Lives of the Mongols”, Toghrulkhan (Toghrul or Ong Khan), a close friend and ally of Khan’s father, ordered environmental protection on Bogd Khan Mountain in the 13th Century. Hunting, logging and other intrusive activities were prohibited.

The Qing Dynasty government formally declared Bogd Khan a protected site in 1783.

A sanctuary for wildlife

Bogd Khan Uul spans approximately 104 square miles (270 square kilometers) - a blend of rugged mountain landscapes, dense forests, and expansive meadows, populated by colorful seasonal wildflowers.

The reserve is a rich haven for a diverse range of wildlife, such as Siberian roe deer, red foxes, lynx (Pallas’s cat), Arctic hare, wild boar, golden eagles, black kites, vultures and several woodpecker species.

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