One steppe, one health
“The well-being of humans, animals, plants, fungi and ecosystems — the entire biodiversity — is closely interlinked.”
Read more about the “One Health” approach in the newest Takhi Post.
Angela Becsek, a Swiss veterinarian specialized in equine medicine, arrived in Takhiin Tal. In the next couple of weeks, she will be assisting Dalai, the takhi researcher, in the examination of dead wildlife, especially the takhi that died in the harsh dzuud winter. These “postmortem” examinations are essential for understanding why individual animals die and, overall, are an essential cornerstone of wildlife monitoring. It thus serves, for example, the early detection of diseases and allows timely intervention and prophylactic measures to be taken before animal diseases spread.
We are very excited to invite you to join the first ever Learning Wild trip to Mongolia to observe and learn about these iconic equids. This once-in-a lifetime experience promises to be not only a rare and immersive journey through a wonderful country but also an opportunity to directly study and learn from and about the world’s last truly wild horse.
The course is hosted by the equine experts Dr. Emily Kieson (Equine International) and Bonny Mealand (Touching Wild). Your guides will be Dr. Reinhard Schnidrig, president of the ITG, takhi researcher Dalaitseren Sukhbaatar (ITG), and ranger Dagvasuren (Great Gobi B).
With this trip, you support the Great Gobi B Strictly Protected Area and its local population.
This week the Mongolian New Year is celebrated. We welcome the Year of the Rabbit. Tsagaan Sar – White Moon – is the most important holiday in Mongolia and marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring.
In January, the ITG once again held its annual workshop. Finally, a face-to-face meeting was possible again. A motivated team from Mongolia, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Norway, and Germany gathered at Wildnispark Zurich to share project progress and pave the way for many activities in 2023. This year we had the pleasure of having representatives from Nuremberg Zoo and Berlin Zoo/Tierpark Berlin attend our workshop to discuss closer collaboration in the future. Besides, the cooperation with our partners of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) in Mongolia is crucial and we were pleased to welcome their representatives to our workshop.
We all focus our energy and enthusiasm on one goal: the conservation of the primordial wild horse and its habitat! Protection of this unique ecosystem with all its inhabitants: flora, fauna and people.
Cashmere from the Mongolian steppe secures the future of nomads and wild horses.
On December 2, ITG together with EDELZiEGE organized an information evening on cashmere wool and its production in the Dzungarian Gobi desert. The protected area Great Gobi B is used seasonally by about 280 herder families. The herders make their living mainly by combing their cashmere goats. The cashmere wool thus obtained is then processed into beautiful and warming fashion. But how can sustainable production succeed? How can livestock numbers be reconciled with nature conservation goals? And how can socially just and ecological production be achieved?
These are the questions being addressed by an ITG working group under the motto “Cashmere for Future”. A herder cooperative founded this fall is now making a start.
In 2023, we will start a year full of new (wool) adventures.
The long-time director of the Great Gobi B reserve, Oyunsaikhan Ganbaatar, resigned at the end of September 2022 to take on a new challenge in conservation.
O. Ganbaatar began working for takhi reintroduction back in 1999 – then as a biology student with Prof. Ravchig Samija, who was closely associated with the project. A takhi research program was just emerging. Ganbaatar, a man of great dedication, quickly became indispensable to the project and emerged as an outstanding takhi expert, building up an enormous wealth of experience and data over the years. His excellent networking with regional and national politicians, herders, gamekeepers and the ITG, as well as his political flair, decisively advanced the reintroduction program; a highlight was the park expansion in 2019. Ganbaatar also did a lot of information work in Mongolia and at international conferences and is widely recognized. In his new commitment, Ganbaatar will assess another area for its suitability for takhi release. At the same time, he will complete his dissertation.
ITG sincerely thanks O. Ganbaatar for 23 years of invaluable service to the cause of takhi reintroduction. We wish him and his family every success in his future endeavours!
As a result of the resignation of O. Ganbaatar, the directorate of the Great Gobi B reserve is being restaffed. Ad interim N. “Aagi” Altansukh takes over this responsible task. He comes from the hamlet of Bij on the northeastern border of the reserve and holds a Bachelor in Economics and Accounting from the International Institute of Economics and Business; a Bachelor as an Environmental Protection Ecologist from the Institute of Environmental Management; and a Master in Biology from Khovd University. He has been working since 2007 as a specialist, later senior specialist, for the reserve. He is therefore very familiar with the local conditions and stakeholders.
We congratulate N. Altansukh on his new position and look forward to a productive collaboration with him.
The takhi escaped extinction by a hair’s breadth. Now the reintroduced residual herds must be protected from key threats.
Achieving this is our primary goal.
However, it is crucial for success that the people in the vicinity of the Great Gobi B reserve support it.
With various activities for the 30th anniversary of the takhi reintroduction,
we want to create benefits for the families around the reserve.
Find out more in our newest Takhi Post.
Cashmere scarves and hats not only look stunning but also warm you in the cold winter. Give yourself or your loved ones an exclusive natural product for Christmas.
100% of the profit goes to the project “Sustainable Cashmere from the Mongolian Steppe” of the International Takhi Group.
This involves helping herders manage their pastures, promoting social justice, and enabling a decent economic income for local herders.
The herders share the idea and goals of the protected area and thus protect the Great Gobi B ecosystem, as well as the primordial wild horses.
Order your product at info@savethewildhorse.org, specifying the type of product, quantity, and color you want, as well as your shipping and billing address.
Orders are possible until November 07.
We wish you much joy with your cashmere product directly from the Mongolian steppe. You contribute to nature conservation and the protection of a unique nomadic culture.
Designed by EDELZiEGE
