The total number of the transboundary group was 7,978 individuals of the rare mountain sheep. Of these, 3,756 were in the Altai Republic, the main habitat of argali in Russia, 318 were in the neighboring Tyva Republic, 2,240 were on the Sailugem Ridge in Mongolia, and 1,664 were in the territory of Uvs-aimak. This figure is notable when compared to the 2,957 argali recorded in Russia and the 4,024 recorded in Mongolia the previous year.
The argali, a rare species of mountain sheep, inhabit the border regions of the Altai and Tyva Republics, near Mongolia in Russia. The distribution of argali in Russia is as follows: Altai Republic (Sailugem Range: 2,240 individuals, Chikhachev Range: 144, South Chuysky Range: 24).