For over 5,000 years, cell herding households have formed the land we now name Mongolia—studying sky and grass, transferring seasonally with livestock and residing in transportable gers (yurts) designed for the wind, chilly and warmth they face on huge grasslands, excessive mountain ranges and the Gobi desert.
They’re stewards of each tradition and the surroundings, managing the “5 jewels”—horses, sheep, goats, cattle/yaks and camels—that present their sustenance, wealth and cultural identification. Their nomadic existence requires deep information of pure cycles and pasture administration and leaves them weak to harsh local weather occasions that may decimate herds and threaten household stability.
At this time, Mongolia is roughly 2.5 occasions the dimensions of Texas however has simply over 3.5 million inhabitants. Over 99% of the nation is uninhabited. Herding is central to tradition and contributes 80% of its agricultural manufacturing and 11% of the nation’s GDP.
Totally different cultures and teams apply these conventional methods, together with Mongol households on the open steppe and Kazakh households within the excessive valleys of the Altai.
Nat Hab’s Untamed Mongolia itinerary connects these worlds, visiting Hustai Nationwide Park, Ikh Nart Nature Reserve and the West Altai in three small ger camps.
Ikh Nart Rocks Ger Camp, Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, Mongolia
Who’re Mongolia’s herding cultures?
Herding households transfer seasonally throughout Mongolia’s 603,909 sq. miles with blended herds: sheep, cashmere goats, horses and cattle/yaks, with Bactrian camels extra frequent towards the Gobi.
In Mongolia’s far west, Kazakh households herd within the Altai–Sayan excessive nation. Some households apply falconry with birds of prey, together with golden eagles, acknowledged by UNESCO as residing human heritage. It’s culturally essential however not common throughout Kazakh houses.
How do Mongolia’s Mongol and Kazakh herding cultures differ?
Teams that apply pastoral nomadism throughout Mongolia share many similarities, together with:
- Seasonal mobility of ger camps—transportable, sturdy, climate-resilient cell dwellings
- Conventional ecological information—studying climate and forage, water planning, and understanding wildlife interactions handed down by means of generations
Key variations between the cultures embrace:
- Panorama and motion: Mongol lifeways unfold on open steppe with strikes keyed to pasture, water and wind; Kazakh lifeways play out amongst increased, colder valleys and rugged passes within the Altai
- Faith and language: Mongol steppe herders are primarily Buddhist or Shamanist with Mongolian as their predominant language, whereas Kazakh herders in Mongolia are predominantly Sunni Muslim and converse Kazakh, usually alongside Mongolian
- Materials tradition: Each use gers, however inside layouts, textiles and motifs fluctuate by area and ethnicity—for instance, distinctive Kazakh embroidery and family arts
- Practices: Some Kazakh practitioners prepare golden eagles to pursue foxes and hares; steppe households emphasize mixed-herd administration and deep horse tradition on vast pasture
Each day particulars deliver Mongolia’s herding cultures to life
Herders converse of the 5 Snouts (tavan khoshuu mal): horses, sheep and goats, cattle or yaks, and camels that present mobility, meals, fiber and gas.
Sheep and goats usually run collectively; free-ranging inventory are recognized by ear marks or branding (tamaga). Just about nothing is wasted: wool turns into ger felt, hides and sinew change into tack and ropes, dried dung fuels the range, horses camels and yaks carry folks and freight.
In herding cultures, hospitality is a continuing—there ought to be milk tea earlier than questions—as are mild animal-care rituals preserved in Mongolia’s intangible heritage, such because the UNESCO-recognized camel coaxing custom within the Gobi.
Why do herding cultures matter to conservation?
Pastoral nomadism informs nationwide identification by means of concord with nature, hospitality and respect for animals as Mongolia urbanizes. Many households in Ulaanbaatar’s ger districts nonetheless dwell in conventional dwellings, a reminder that the transportable house is each image and answer—although winter air high quality generally is a problem.
Herding communities are key stewards of Mongolia’s steppe and semi-desert: mobility, low-waste husbandry and ecological information assist maintain rangelands for species like argali, ibex and cinereous vultures.
Try WWF’s The Residence and Lifetime of Mongolian Nomadic Herders
Golden eagle, Hustai Nationwide Park, Mongolia
What to anticipate in Hustai Nationwide Park
From our personal cell ger camp within the mountain steppe of Hustai’s buffer zone, we now have particular permitted entry close to the Core Zone and use researcher-only routes for wildlife drives. That is the place takhi (Przewalski’s horses) thrive—on choose spring departures you’ll monitor wolves with a senior park biologist at daybreak.
Wildlife to identify in Hustai Nationwide Park:
- Takhi (Przewalski’s wild horse): The park is legendary for its reintroduced inhabitants of this endangered species
- Crimson deer: A standard sight inside the park
- Mongolian gazelle: Giant populations inhabit the grasslands
- Siberian marmot: Burrowing rodents that dwell in household teams
- Grey wolf: Elusive however current, typically tracked with park biologists
- Pallas’s cat (manul): An elusive, nocturnal feline hardly ever seen in daylight
Birdwatching in Hustai Nationwide Park:
- Golden eagle: A standard resident raptor
- Lammergeier: A formidable bearded vulture
- Black stork: A putting wading chicken
- Nice bustard: A big ground-dwelling chicken of the steppe
East Gobi, Mongolia
go to Ikh Nart Nature Reserve within the Japanese Gobi
A chartered Cessna cuts the lengthy overland switch, preserving time for wildlife, archaeology and conversations with seasonal herders amongst granite outcrops and dry washes. Friends keep in a everlasting ger camp—search for argali, ibex and cinereous vultures.
Wildlife highlights at Ikh Nart:
- Argali sheep: The reserve harbors a globally essential inhabitants
- Siberian ibex: Typically resting on rugged rocky slopes
- Gazelles: Herds of Mongolian and goitered gazelles roam right here
- Asiatic wild ass: A threatened equid discovered within the reserve
- Cinereous vulture: A globally essential species nesting on cliffs
- Saker falcon: A conservation precedence in Mongolia
- Raptors: Eagles, buzzards and different raptors frequent the reserve
- Migratory birds: Ikh Nart serves as a key stopover on flyways
West Altai (excessive nation)
In Mongolia’s far west, tradition is equally vivid. The area stays the stronghold of Kazakh language and traditions, with greater than 120,000 Kazakhs residing in Mongolia. Some are herders, others craftspeople, lecturers and shopkeepers. Assembly households—reasonably than focusing solely on eagle-hunter demonstrations—ensures that tourism advantages are shared extra authentically.
Close to Tsambagarav Nationwide Park, small luxurious gers anchor visits with Kazakh households, including context for high-country herding, music and embroidery, and—the place applicable—falconry heritage beneath alpine valleys and snow-tipped summits.
Mammals of the West Altai:
- Altai argali: The world’s largest mountain sheep, tailored to excessive altitude
- Snow leopard: An elusive, endangered predator of the Altai
- Siberian ibex: A key prey species, usually seen on cliffs and in historical rock artwork
- Brown bear: Solitary foragers in alpine meadows and forests
- Crimson deer: Critically endangered within the Altai, surviving in scattered herds
- Marmots and floor squirrels: Widespread in alpine areas, with alpine marmots notable residents
Birdwatching within the West Altai:
- Golden eagle: Revered hunter and cultural image
- Different raptors: The reserve hosts black storks, peregrine falcons and eagle owls
Personal Hustai cell ger camp, Hustai Nationwide Park, Mongolia.
To satisfy Mongolia’s Kazakh Altai and Mongol steppe herding cultures in a single journey
Contemplate our Untamed Mongolia journey. You’ll discover Hustai (mountain steppe), Ikh Nart (Japanese Gobi) and the West Altai (excessive nation) with:
- Personal flights—together with a constitution to and from Ikh Nart—exchange lengthy drives, maximizing time with wildlife and households
- Unique Hustai entry: a personal cell ger camp close to the Core Zone and wildlife drives on researcher-only routes
- Three distinct ger stays: personal cell (Hustai), everlasting (Ikh Nart), small luxurious (West Altai)
- Choose Could–June departures embrace wolf monitoring with a senior park biologist
