It’s January 6th at 4:30 a.m. and I'm restless to say the least. In less than 20 hours I will be departing the states for Mongolia, The Land of Eternal Blue Sky. I’m thrilled and a bit nervous
but I’m fully invested in my work and take great pleasure in the uncertainty of
it all.
Mongolia is home to a strong tradition of nomadic people and it has one
of the largest wolf populations as well. However due to the recent environmental
changes and industrialization, the agro-life is becoming increasingly more
difficult for the nomad. Harsh winters, scarce grasslands and infrastructure
have led to increased livestock deprivation from natural predators like wolves and
snow leopards. And as the nomads go, their life IS the livestock.
Our goal is to provide the nomads with a livestock guardian
dog to create a more sustainable way of life. Farmers often turn to gun and
poison control methods to eliminate predators, but a recent study proved this
to cause an influx of deprivation because of poor wolf-pack leadership. On the other hand a livestock guardian dog is
considered a non-lethal method of control. By reducing the need to poach
predators and encouraging a more pastoral life we hope to create a balanced
environment and reintroduce a lost tradition of livestock guardians for a more
predicable farm life and sustain a time-honored tradition of nomadic life.
We will be camped an hour outside of Mongolia’s capital city,
Ulan Bator. We currently have 8 Bankhar puppies and 1 more expecting female.
I will be living in a Ger (Traditional Felt tent) as well as
making regular trips to the city. Follow me and learn what life is like in Mongolia and how to raise a Bankhar livestock guardian dog. Still unsure of what lies ahead, I
look forward to sharing my adventure.
-Devin Byrne
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