ULAN BATOR, April 18 (Xinhua) -- China and Mongolia signed an agreement here Wednesday on the implementation of the technical assistance project to save Mongolia's endangered Gobi bear (Mazaalai) and improve their range.

The agreement was signed by Sun Weiren, commercial counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Mongolia, and Gantomor Nyamdavaa, head of the Environment and Natural Resources Management Department at Mongolia's Ministry of Environment and Tourism.

The three-year project will be implemented from the beginning of this summer with a non-refundable aid of 110 million RMB (17.5 million U.S. dollars) from the Chinese government.

Due to lack of food, Mazaalai is currently the world's rarest bear, with only 28 Mazaalai bears left, according to a recent research. They mainly feed on roots, berries and sometimes rodents, but refuse to eat human-made substitute-plants.