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The wild Bactrian camel, the remarkable ancestor
of all domestic camels
and now even more rare than the giant panda, lives in three separate
habitats in China and one in Mongolia. John Hare, the founder and
Chairman of the Wild Camel Protection Foundation, will recount two
expeditions made to search for the wild camel in the Gobi desert
which
led to two unexpected discoveries: of an outpost called Tu Ying
of the
ancient city of Lou Lan on the middle silk road where several mummies
dating from 1500 BC and in a remarkable state of preservation were
found; and more worryingly, 84 drums of poisonous potassium cyanide
brought into the desert by illegal miners in their search for gold.
Both of
these discoveries, and their wider implications, will be discussed.
John Hare is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and the
Explorers’
Club of America has lectured to the Royal Geographical Society,
the Royal
Society for Asian Affairs, the United Nations, the Great Britain-China
Centre,
the Grocers’ Livery Company and the Scientific Exploration
Society as well
as in the US, Hong Kong, China and Kenya. His work in raising awareness
of the wild Bactrian camel was recognised in 2004 when he was awarded
the Ness Award by the Royal Geographical Society.
Members’ Priority Booking Period
to 10 January then open to the
public. Asia House Members and concs £4, Non-members £7
Tickets available from Asia House, 63 New Cavendish Street,
London Tel: 020 7307 5454 mailto:enquiries@asiahouse.co.uk |
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