Rolling pin Against Leopard

People in Erdene Buren soum of Khovd province still talk about how a local woman chased away a deadly beast.

Herder Nyamsuren's family stayed in a remote mountain place. The herder was away on some business and his pregnant wife stayed at home alone with children.

One night she woke up because of goats bleating and went out to see the reason. When she saw inside the cattle shelter an animal standing over dead goat, she did not think for long and struck it with rolling pin (wooden stick to flatten dough) she took along. Only when it fall to her feet she realized that it was a deadly beast or snow leopard. 

While she was standing there shocked the snow leopard came to its senses and simply run away.

Snow leopards are beautiful and rare beasts inhabiting the mountain ranges of Altai and South Gobi. They usually hunt wild sheep and goats, but sometimes attack horses and even camels. They reach some 150 cm in length and weigh up to 40 kg. The animal is registered in the International Red Book as endangered specie.

Sin of Kissing an American

S. Sumya, a famous singer of traditional long songs, lives now in Khujirt soum of Uvorhangai province. 

"This happened in 1964. One day the province governor personally came to pick me up. "You will perform for a foreign visitor. Tell him that you are working in a local kindergarten and that the musician works with you," he was instructing me on the way. At the hotel entrance the head of the local internal secutiry office was sitting pretending to be a receptionist.

 The American turned to be an Asian and he spoke Mongolian. "When I sang "..deers graze in valleys filled with grasses, my father and mother who brought me up .." the guest began to cry. Seeing this I also could not contain my tears. 

Some ten years later I met him again when performing for a group of tourists. He remembered me and even came to compliment that he liked my singing. He even kissed me. 

But after the concert there was a meeting of all party members where I was reprimanded for first, crying in the presence of an American, and then kissing with him 10 years later.

That American was Professor Hanginy Gombojav (an Inner Mongolian who emigrated to the USA and become a leading Mongol Studies scholar).

Walk Around the Country

G. Chadalbat, 35, was born in Huvsgul, one of the most beautiful provinces in the Northern Mongolia. For last eight years he just walks around the country. Within two years he circled the country along the border line or 8,000 km. And now he travels across all the villages and towns. 

"We know so little about the place we live in and do not care much to preserve it. Therefore, I want to see by my own eyes and then tell people about the places I have been. I keep a thorough diary in which I write everything I see on my way, the tales old people tell me, local stories and legends," says young man. 

Travel across sparsely populated areas, especailly in dense forests or a desert often can be a real challenge. Especially in the extremal conditions of winter. 

"Last year, when there was a dzud disaster and tempteratures dropped below - 40, I neverless decided to visit Zavkhan soum. It was the only remaining soum in that province at some 150 km distance which I did not visit." 

"To get there I went on ski. On the second day I saw two animals laying in snow. When I approached I discovered them to be wolves. It was so cold that even wolves froze to death. An old herder who offered me to stay in his gher told me that my eyeballs got white because of cold. Only later I learned that it was - 50 that day." 

"In another case, during a snow storm in early summer I saved my life hiding in a well and hanging on a well rope the whole night. When I got out in the morning there was snow everywhere. I begun to run until the first gher. The hosts lost their daughter in that storm. All their animals died as well. It happened in South Gobi, some 70 km from the border." 

"There are many unusual phenomena in Gobi Desert. At night strange and wild voices surround you. Often I could hear a low roar, and then a white fog approaching. No one could tell me what it is." 

Chadalbat travels without a tent or food. He takes along his rifle only, just in case of facing wild beasts. Now he seeks a sponsor to publish his diaries as well as companions for his new travels.

Unusual Mother

Herder Nyamaa from Erdendalai locality in Dund Gobi province was most surprised to see a young calf sucking a bitch together with two puppies.

Three months ago Nyamaa’s family moved away to a neighboring province saving their livestock from dzud disaster when a thick snow layer covered the whole area preventing animals from pasturing. They left behind the weakest animals who could not survive a long trip across deep snow, and among them an old cow with a late born calf.

Meantime, the dog, also left behind, gave birth to two puppies. Somehow, the dog thought it her duty to patronize the orphaned calf and allowed him to suck her milk together with puppies and, thus to survive through winter.

The owner says this is a good omen for quick recovery of livestock losses, and the calf now has become the most loved pet of the family.

By P.Tumurbaatar

No Problem

“Old habits die hard,” a saying goes. On April 24, after a snow blizzard on cold day, the Ulaanbaatar city streets turned into ice skating arena. On that day I witnessed a traffic accident when a minivan capsized on slippery road. When I came to the scene, people already came out of the car through the broken window.

The worried driver offered to take the passengers to a hospital but all nine people, except a woman who scratched her face, refused in one voice.

“No need for trouble! Traffic police, doctors, court etc. No problem!” they assured the driver and hurried to the nearby bus stop.

By M. Amarkhuu

Nothing happened

“Though I lived in Mongolia for many years, I still do not understand how Mongols remain so quiet in most extreme situations,” says Mr. Yuri Krouchkin, a Russian scholar and former diplomat.

“Once I was driving to the airport when a car coming from other direction flew out of the road and turned several times. Some passing by cars stopped to help the people inside. However, several young men who climbed out, without many words turned the car back on its tires, sat in and drive away… As if nothing happened! “
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