The dogs that could stop Mongolian grasslands turning to desert – return of the bankhar, traditional herder’s companion
- The bankhar, a guardian dog, is being reintroduced to protect livestock from predators and remove herders’ incentive to keep more animals and kill predators
- Herd animals have tripled in number in recent years, causing overgrazing and trampling the grass
If there’s one good thing about a 13-hour road trip across Mongolia, it’s the endless opportunities for a pit stop: you just swerve off the highway and onto the plains. All this wide open space is particularly helpful if your fellow passengers include 11 boisterous puppies.
Also in the car are two members of the Mongolian Bankhar Dog Project team, Soyolbod Sergelen and Batbaatar Tumurbaatar.
The non-profit organisation is reintroducing the ancient guardian dog to Mongolia’s steppe to prevent conflict between humans and wildlife and promote sustainable land use.
Livestock numbers on Mongolia’s grasslands have nearly tripled since 2002, according to the National Statistics Office – and this is taking its toll on the pastures.
The number of head of livestock in 2018 was over 66 million, about 41 per cent of which were goats, raised mainly to feed China’s demand for cashmere wool.
“Other than climate change, it’s the worst thing that has ever happened to the grasslands of the steppes of Asia,” says project founder Bruce Elfstrom, via Skype from his home in the American state of Connecticut.
