Nomadic Life in Mongolia

Photos (20)

Cover
Baak Tulga, a Mongolian nomad, herding horses near his camp on the steppe
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Tsatrl, a policeman, with his wife, Tsoglmaa, holding a portrait of themselves outside their ger tent on the Mongolian steppe.
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Dolgormaa, a Mongolian nomad, scans the distant horizon with a monocular, looking for members of her family returning to the camp.
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Delgr Tuya is six years old. When she is not at school, she helps with the family chores, carrying the milk back to the nearby ger tent.
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Delgr Tuya and her grandfather inspect the family horses in a corral near their nomad ger tent.
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Dolgormaa milking a cow whilst chatting with a friend.
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Baak Tulge uses a chainsaw to saw logs outside the family ger tent. Baak's family travel with Baak's older brother, Batjarjra. Both families move location four or five times each year, depending on the season.
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Brothers Baak and Batjarjral check the livestock as one sheep leaps into the air.
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Baak Tulge has always led a nomadic life, moving his home several times each year, taking his family and livestock with him.
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Baak, an expert horseman, uses a noose on the end of a long stick to catch and corral his family's ponies.
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The Mongolian nomads are expert horsemen but breaking-in a wild horse can sometimes be a painful process.
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Tuul Tulge helps to corral the horses at the end of the day, bringing them back from grazing pasture to the safety of a corral near the family's ger tent home.
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Tsatrl is a policeman but also keeps livestock and still leads a traditional nomadic life.
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Grandfather Batjarjral Tulge plays with his granddaughter in the warmth of the interior of the family ger tent whilst grandmother Dolgormaa prepares the evening meal.
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Batjatjral prepares fermented mare's milk, which is a staple part of the Mongolian nomadic diet. The surplus is sold, together with cheese, goatskins and sheepskins to supplement the family income.
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The horse is still the preferred mode of transport for Mongolian nomad families, especially over shorter distances.
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A Mongolian saddle is simple and designed to allow the rider maximum mobility. Most riders are comfortable riding without their hands on the reins.
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Batjarjral Tulga returning to the family ger at the end of the day.
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In the morning, Batjarjral Tulge and his family rise early and begin the day's chores; milking cows and mares, caring for the goats and sheep, fetching water from the stream and preparing food for the day's meals.
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With no light pollution, the remote ger offers a great view of the stars.
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