When you walk along the Tibetan steppe, the first thing you notice is a huge number of marmots and pikas (). But not only them. Today about the rest of the living creatures.

The pika is a small rodent, something between a hamster and a hare. The whole earth is pocked with pika burrows, and one morning I woke up from the fact that a pika decided to crawl out of the hole right under the tent, in the place where my head lay. It is not always possible to pitch a tent on level ground without pika holes.

Steppe ferret. We found him in one of the holes in the pasture, took off our backpacks, crept up to the hole and lay down. At first the animal did not want to come out, but after a while it got used to us, began running between the holes and even posed a little. He turned out to be a good fashion model. The ferret feeds on mice, pikas and other small rodents.

Unlike the ferret, the stoat was not very keen on posing and quickly disappeared into a gap between the boulders.

The hare avoided the grass, eaten up by the yaks into a lawn, and preferred to hide in the tall, fresh grass. The hare approves of fencing pastures when the yaks cannot eat the grass behind the fence: now he has a place to hide.

From some holes in the meadows it is not pikas but voles that look out.

The Tibetan fox is found everywhere. She hunts rodents, of which there is no shortage, and tries not to conflict with people, staying away from barking and noise. Tibetans do not hunt foxes - Buddhism does not allow it. Tibetans do not kill animals at all, so they can be seen not too far from yurts with herds and houses with fields.

There are almost no large predators left: leopards, wolves. The culprit is this cute Tibetan mastiff, which protects herds and farms from attacks by wild animals.

Larger ungulates are hunted only by birds of prey. If a yak, ram or antelope has died in the meadow, the birds flock in large numbers and start a fight for pieces of meat.

Birds against the backdrop of Mount Amne-Machin.

The domesticated yak replaced large ungulates: kiangs and wild yaks. Unlike wild herbivores, which die on the same land, closing the cycle of organic matter, the grass eaten by the domestic yak is only partially returned to the soil (in the form of manure). Meat is actively exported to the cities of Tibet and China. This opens the cycle of substances in the Tibetan steppe and the land is gradually depleted. The Chinese are trying to regulate the number of yaks and Tibetan shepherds in order to avoid overgrazing and soil erosion, but they are unlikely to ever give up exporting meat from Tibet - they really love eating meat.

This dzo is a cross between a cow and a yak. Their fur is less dense than that of the yak, but they are stronger and produce more milk. Dzo bulls are sterile, and Dzo cows give birth to calves that are a quarter of the yaks (cows) - ortum, and then the eighth of the yaks (cows) - gyuzi.

To distinguish yaks, Tibetans attach such flags to them.

Jacobs are grazed and driven across high mountain meadows. View from the top of the swampy saddle of the pass.

Occasionally, on the most distant passes, wild ungulates such as these orongo antelopes are encountered.

There, in the swampy meadows in the upper reaches of the valleys and along the shores of lakes, cranes feed.

Crows are human's indispensable companions. They fly over trash cans in cities and over shepherds' yurts. Huge crows will always find something to profit from in the farms of cattle breeders. To prevent crows from spoiling the skins, they are laid out next to the yurt and the crows are periodically driven away. This has to be done almost constantly.

Kiangi and other inhabitants of Tibet

The Tibetan Plateau, which is often called the “roof of the world,” stretches over almost 2 million km2. From the north it is bounded by the Kun-Lun ridge, from the south by the Himalayan ridge with its highest peaks in the world (more than 8 thousand m above sea level). Most of the Tibetan Plateau lies in China, and only a little in the west and south it enters into Indian territory.

For a long time, Tibet remained closed, and visiting it was fraught not only with difficulties, but also with serious dangers. Tibetan lamas did not want to allow foreigners into their “country of religions.” What kind of tricks did researchers have to go to in order to penetrate the mysterious Tibet and see its legendary capital Lhasa. The Franciscan Odoric of Pordenone, a native of Italy, came to Lhasa in 1325-1326. as a missionary from Eastern China. At that time, he was the first European to see and describe this city. The English explorer William Moorcroft entered Tibet in 1812, posing as a Kashmiri wool merchant. With an excellent command of the Kashmiri language, Moorcroft was accepted into his midst by local traders and was able to travel around Tibet for several years. One day, during his next journey, he was killed by robbers. Many other researchers also encountered the predatory habits of the nomadic population of Northern Tibet. French traveler and geographer Dutreil de Rene was killed in a shootout. And N.M. Przhevalsky’s detachment sometimes had to make their way with weapons in hand. The famous traveler repeatedly tried to visit Lhasa, but each time he encountered insurmountable obstacles. This city remained the unfulfilled dream of the great explorer of Central Asia. Following him in 1899, on instructions from the Russian Geographical Society, another Russian scientist, G.Ts. Tsybikov, went to Tibet. To get to the capital of Tibet, he had to disguise himself as a Buddhist pilgrim going to worship the Lhasa shrines.

Only since 1988 has Tibet been officially open to foreigners. And although now, to get there, there is no longer a need to dress up as a merchant or pilgrim, stock up on weapons, or equip a caravan of dozens of pack horses and camels, as was the case a century ago, traveling through Tibet cannot be called easy.

Travelers who were lucky enough to visit Tibet at the end of the last and beginning of this century were greatly impressed by the fabulous abundance of wild animals that trustingly allowed people to approach them. It seemed to Przhevalsky that he had found himself in a primeval paradise, “where man and animals did not yet know evil and sin.” The antelopes calmly grazed and frolicked around or crossed the path of the caravan, and the wild yaks, resting after feeding, did not bother to get up. Even the most passionate hunters from his squad quickly became bored with chasing animals that made no attempt to hide or defend themselves. Among the herbivores of Tibet - the long-horned beauties of the Orongo antelope and fleet-footed gazelles, majestic yaks and blue sheep - Przhevalsky considered the most remarkable to be the kiang, which differed from other animals not only in its beauty and grace, but also in its great curiosity.

Kiang ( Equus bemionus kiang) - one of the representatives of the genus of true horses, living only in Tibet. It is called differently: Jan - Tanguts, Khulan - Mongols. Moorcroft, the first scientist to describe the kiang, whose name is included in the modern definition of kiang, called it a wild horse, and Przhevalsky called it a khulan, or wild donkey ( Asinus kiang). Now in English it is most often called tibetan wild ass - Tibetan wild ass. But, strictly speaking, kiangs are much closer to real horses than to donkeys, although in terms of structural features they differ markedly from both. Therefore, the kiang and its closest relatives, living today (the Mongolian kulan, or dzhigetai, the Indian kulan, or khur, and the Turkmen kulan, also known as onager), as well as the extinct ones, are sometimes united by taxonomists into a special subgenus of the so-called half-donkeys ( Hemionus). However, discussions around the systematic position of kiang are still ongoing. And this is not the only blind spot in the study of kiang. There is very little information about its distribution. It was known that the bulk of the Kiang population lives somewhere in Tibet. Seasonal visits of these animals are observed in Ladakh and Sikkim. According to research conducted in 1994, the Kiang population in North Sikkim consists of approximately 120 individuals ( Shah N.V. Status survey of southern kiang (Equus kiang polyodon) in Northern Sikkim // Newsletter of the Equid Specialist Group, SSC,IUCN-Word Conservation Union. 1995. V.2. No. 10. P. 1-2). There is no data on the number of Kiangs in Ladakh and Tibet ( Sharma B.D. High altitude wildlife of India. New Delhi, 1994; Gurung K.K., Rajsingh D.A. Field Guide to the Mammals of the Indians. San Diego, USA. 1996). Why did it happen that one of the most beautiful representatives of mammals was deprived of the attention of scientists?

One of the main reasons for the lack of knowledge about the kiang is that it lives mainly in very remote, inaccessible and sparsely populated areas. An expressive description of Tibet, allowing one to vividly imagine the territory in question, was given by Przhevalsky: “Sharply limited on all sides by primary mountain ranges, the named country is, in the shape of an irregular trapezoid, a grandiose, foot-shaped mass, not repeated anywhere else on the globe in such dimensions, raised above sea level, with the exception of only a few outskirts, to a terrible height from 13 to 13 thousand feet. And on this gigantic pedestal there are also vast mountain ranges, although relatively low in the interior of the country, but on its outskirts developing the most powerful forms of the wild alps.”

Hospitable capital

In 1998, we spent the entire autumn in Tibet: from mid-September to mid-December. We were brought here by the desire to get to know the mysterious kiang better and find out if he needs protection. Otherwise, it may happen that, having realized it too late, we will lose another representative of wild horses, just as (only since the end of the last century!) We lost the tarpan and the quagga. And the fate of Przewalski’s horse still hangs in the balance: restoring the species is much more difficult than preventing its disappearance from nature. But, having set ourselves this very specific task, we knew in advance that we would not be able to limit ourselves to just this in such an amazing country as Tibet.

Autumn is the best season to visit Tibet: heavy summer rains, causing river floods and destruction of roads and bridges, have already passed; The roads have been repaired and are passable again, and the winter cold and dust storms have not yet begun. We flew to Lhasa from Chengdu, having climbed more than 3.5 thousand meters! It was 33 degrees Celsius. The sun, which now seemed just a stone's throw away, threatened with sunstroke and burns. Before setting off further, we had to adapt to the high altitude and peculiarities of the Tibetan climate: wait until the headaches, chills and weakness passed. This usually takes at least a week. The period of adaptation was also the time for us to prepare the first point of the planned program - a route through the southwestern part of Tibet.

We stayed in a small hotel located a five-minute walk from the ancient Jokhang Temple, built in the 7th century. There are always crowds of people near the temple: some pray in front of the main entrance, others walk around the temple (this path is called “barkor” and is equivalent to prayer), others crowd around small shops selling all sorts of things. There are many cripples and beggars here begging for alms. “Heaps, heaps,” they repeat in different tones, shaking their hand with their thumb raised up.

With the permission of the monks, we climbed onto the roof of the Jokhang, which offers a beautiful view of the Potala Palace - one of the most remarkable buildings in Tibet. It was built on Red Hill in the 7th century. Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo (according to L.N. Gumilev - Srontsangampo) for meditation. During his reign, Buddhism came to Tibet. In the 17th century The 3rd Dalai Lama rebuilt the palace and gave it a modern look. Since then, the Potala has become the winter palace of the Dalai Lama dynasty. It is believed that before the beginning of the 20th century. The 13-story (117 m high) Potala Palace was the largest building in the world.

We did not feel like uninvited guests in Lhasa; it seemed that our arrival was expected here. On the streets from all sides we were greeted with smiles and greetings: “You’re doing well!” and "Hello!" Then came the invariable question: “Where did you come from?” Pedicabs offered to take us to any part of Lhasa for a small fee. Merchants beckoned to look at their goods: “Bows, bows! Only bows!” ("Look, look! Just look!")

10 days after our arrival, we managed, with the help of one of the travel agencies, to obtain all the necessary permits (and you need to have seven of them just to travel outside the Lhasa area!) and rent cars - a jeep for us and a truck for transporting gasoline. Now it was possible to leave hospitable Lhasa and move further towards the unknown.

Four Tibetans went with us: three drivers and a “guide”. The last word is in quotation marks, because this young man not only had never traveled along the intended route, but also did not have the slightest travel experience. Nevertheless, his presence was a prerequisite for obtaining permits. The driver of the jeep was a little more lucky. Denzin repeatedly had to drive to the town of Ali, both along the northern and southern roads, but he was used to moving non-stop from village to village, so he was always reluctant to give in to our requests to slow down to photograph the landscape he liked.

The first two days from Lhasa to Lhadse we drove through the densely populated agricultural areas of the Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) river valley. It was harvest time. Everything was done slowly, with the help of bulls, horses and donkeys. The weather allowed people to take their time: there were warm sunny days without a drop of rain. Tibet has the highest limit of mountain farming on the globe. Przhevalsky refers to the testimony of Nain Singh, who saw barley crops at an absolute altitude of 4633 m in 1873 ( Przhevalsky N.M. From Zaisan through Khalsh to Tibet and the upper reaches of the Yellow River. Third trip to Central Asia 1879-1880. M., 1948).

We remember the village of Lkhadze for the huge number of hoopoes ( Upupa epops), flying to India, and yellow poplars. After Lhadse, for many days we were not destined to see a single tree. At first there was still juniper ( Juniperus squamata), growing in circles and spots on the slopes of the mountains, but then he too disappeared. Beyond the village, the road forked: one went south, to Nepal, and most tourists rushed along it, and the second went northwest, to the Trans-Himalayas. We turned onto the northern road and soon the agricultural areas were left behind. Beyond the village of Kaika began the lands of nomadic herders who lived in black tents made of yak wool in winter and summer. On the way we encountered herds of yaks descending from high-mountain summer pastures to winter in the valleys.

Gradually, wild animals began to appear: pika ( Ochotona sp.), Himalayan marmot ( Marmota himalayana) and the endemic of Tibet - the woolly hare ( Lepus oiostolus).

As the road climbed higher into the mountains, the weather also changed. When the four thousand mark was overcome, the daytime temperature dropped to +10°C, a cold, bone-piercing wind blew, and the rains began.

The first long-awaited meeting with the Kiangs took place on the fourth day of the journey beyond the village of Sangsang, in a vast intermountain valley, where one of the tributaries of the Brahmaputra, the Raka Tsangpo River, originates. At the edge of the valley, most of which was occupied by a tussock swamp, we used binoculars to make out a group of five kiangs. Tibetan gazelles were grazing not far from them ( Procapra picticaudata). And near us, looking warily at the stopped car and preparing to fly away at any moment, stood a pair of black-necked cranes ( Grus nigricollis) with two already grown chicks.

Later, together with the kiangs, we repeatedly met Tibetan gazelles. These small graceful animals, with a height at the withers of about 60 cm and a length from head to tail of just over a meter, greatly enlivened the desert landscape. They have a pleasant fawn coloration with a characteristic white “mirror” covering almost the entire back of the body. A black short tail is clearly visible on the “mirror”. Males can be easily distinguished from females by their small (about 30-35 cm long) horns curved back. The Tibetan name for gazelles is goa. Communicating with the natives along the way, we learned other local names of animals: fox - amo, tarbagan - chibey, snow leopard - rishim, wolf - changu, hare - zhigon, crane - chungdzhu, blue ram - na, wild goat - la, argali - nen, lynx - and, bear - vol.

First surprises

Geyser near the sacred mountain Tage

Beyond the village of Raga the road turned sharply to the north. We moved along it and soon found ourselves near the largest geyser in Tibet (as the locals accompanying us claimed), gushing out like a fountain from underground at the foot of Mount Tage. Around it, other smaller geysers poured out their hot waters into the river. Rongju or, not finding a drain, turned into small hot lakes. They all hovered and gurgled, and the setting sun, breaking through the black snow clouds, added mystery to the already unusual picture. Having fallen under the hypnotic charm of the valley, we decided to spend the night next to this “little Kamchatka” in order to take a hot bath the next morning. Bathing in natural hot springs is the only opportunity to wash off road dust while traveling in Tibet, so this chance should not be missed.

When the tents were set up, it turned out that the camp was located on a colony of pikas and there was nowhere to move it, since the entire coast of Rongju to the rocky foothills of Tage was occupied by these cute big-eared animals, which the Tibetans call aura. From the side of the mountain the voices of Tibetan snowcocks were heard ( Tetraogallus tibetanus), and from the river side - the screams of firelights ( Tadorna ferruginea), which are found in Tibet in such quantities that local residents collect their eggs like we collect mushrooms.

The closer it got to night, the more the black clouds thickened above us, and finally a real snowstorm began. Tents were torn from stakes, pikas hid in holes, and we took refuge in cars. It seemed incredible that only four days of travel separated us from sunny and hot Lhasa. The prospect of spending the night in tents in such weather was not encouraging, but the storm ended as suddenly as it had begun, turning the valley into something completely fantastic: streams of steam were now rising above the continuous snow cover.

We had to experience the surprises of the Tibetan climate more than once. The differences in day and night temperatures reached 40°C: 23-degree daytime heat gave way to a frosty night with temperatures down to -13°C. In one day you could visit both winter and summer! But real Tibetan winters, of course, are much harsher: at an altitude of 4200-4300 m above sea level. Average winter temperatures range from -34 to -39°C, with an absolute minimum of -33°C.

When the snowstorm subsided, a local resident came to us from behind the river. He forded the river without taking off his shoes and was now standing in the snow in wet sneakers, talking to us. At the same time, in order not to waste time, he continued to spin yarn from the wool hidden in his bosom. From him we learned that Tage is not a simple mountain, but the Lion King himself, a beautiful lake lying nearby. Namtso is his wife, and the geyser is their tea. In order not to anger the Tsar, local people do not hunt in his domain. But in recent years, regardless of Tibetan customs, the Chinese have been hunting here, and for this reason wild yaks have completely disappeared from the vicinity of Tage. But there are still quite a lot of goas and kiangs, brown bears with white stripes (apparently pika-eating bears) and wolves, and there are wild sheep and goats. In the east of the valley you can still see orongo antelopes, but they also suffer greatly from Chinese hunters.

When our questions ran out, the guest politely said goodbye and got ready to go back the way he came. Here we couldn’t resist asking the question that had been tormenting us for a long time: isn’t he cold in his wet sneakers? “When you stand, it’s a little cold,” he agreed, “but when you walk, it’s warm.”

As a parting gift, we gave our guest a photograph of the Dalai Lama - the most precious gift for every Tibetan. Even someone who doesn't speak a word of English knows how to ask: "Dalai Lama picche." He first placed the photograph on his head, then brought it to his face and chest, thus paying tribute to the ruler of Tibet, who in 1939 was forced to leave his country and settle in northern India, in Dharamsala.

Alternative to nature reserves

It seems strange when someone seriously talks about how mountains, like people, get married, and lakes get married, and then drink tea from a geyser together. But this is one of the features of the Buddhist faith, which does not distinguish between organic and inorganic nature. Buddhists believe that not only people have a soul, but also all living and nonliving components of this world, since the world is a subject. The relationship between animals and people in the light of Buddhist ideas is equated to kinship, and nature receives its significance not through objective thinking, but through subjective feeling and close kinship. Buddhists worship nature; they declare and recognize mountains, lakes, and hot springs as sacred. These are often inaccessible areas where, according to their beliefs, the souls of dead saints return. And ordinary people dream that their souls will return there after death. These are natural areas equal in importance to God. Here, even breaking the silence is considered a sin, and catching fish or killing an animal is a crime. Sacred Buddhist territories are the same reserves, only based not on the basis of ecological knowledge, but thanks to a way of life completely different from ours, where feelings are more important than rational thinking, where a person does not separate himself from nature and does not imagine himself as a ruler, capable of controlling and transforming nature. Faith has long protected nature in Tibet better than any rangers, and the result of this protection was the extraordinary number of unafraid animals that amazed travelers a century ago. Buddhists did not hunt wild animals, and if a wild animal, a bear or a snow leopard, turned out to be a victim of a defending person, the skin and skull of the animal were brought to the monastery, as well as the skull of a domestic animal slaughtered for food - to the chorten * to be removed from the person sin for someone else’s death, and give the animal the opportunity to be better reincarnated in the next life.

Chhorten (or stupa) is a tower-shaped stone structure where sacred texts are kept. In ancient times, when there were no portraits of Buddha, chortens symbolized him.

According to the same Tibetan laws, rooted in ancient times and preserved to this day, it is forbidden to kill or eat the meat of kiangs and all other equid animals, including domestic horses. Therefore, in Tibet you will not find, as in Mongolia or Kazakhstan, numerous herds of domestic horses raised for meat. Horses are sometimes used for work and riding, but yaks or donkeys are often preferred for these purposes.

Behind the valley of geysers, on the road to the village. Tsochen, kiangs began to be found, but still rarely and in small quantities: a single male, a pair of animals, a group of four animals... And suddenly - one female with a foal, without a male. We were surprised: it is not typical for horses and kulans for females to wander on their own. What could be the matter here? The solution turned out to be tragic: 50 meters from the road, near Lake Namtso, a dead male was lying, and crows were circling above him. Local people who were repairing a road nearby said that the night before a car with Chinese border guards drove along the road. Noticing two adult kiangs with a foal nearby, they stopped. A few seconds later, a shot rang out, from which the male fell and began to struggle in his death throes; the female and the foal shied away in fear. There was a laugh from the car, then the engine started again and the car drove away. Not a single hair was touched from this animal, deprived of life just like that, incidentally, for the sake of fun.

So, by tragic accident, we had the opportunity to take a close look at the kiang and take measurements. It was a young male of small stature who had already reached maturity (height at the withers 127 cm, length of the body from the anterior protrusion of the glenohumeral joint to the posterior point of the ischial tuberosity 125 cm, height at the elbow 70 cm). Its color is very similar to the color of the kiangs encountered by Przhevalsky in the northeast of Tibet ( Przhevalsky N.M.. Mongolia and the country of the Tanguts. A three-year journey in the Eastern Highlands of Asia. M„ 1946. P.236-237). The upper part of the body and head are painted brown (darker than those of the Turkmen and Mongolian kulans), the lower part is white. The length of the head ending with a white nose (from the occipital crest to the end of the upper lip) is about 60 cm. The border between the dark and light-colored parts is clear. On the neck, the brown color occupied about a third of the top and stretched along the mane. From the lower part of the neck, the white color spread to the chest, stomach and legs. On the sides of the body, the border between the colors ran approximately in the middle. But on the front leg, the white color from the belly reached the shoulder blade like a wedge. All the legs in front are light fawn, but this is almost impossible to notice from a great distance; the legs appear white. The front legs are thinner than the hind legs (the girth of the pastern was 14.5 cm, and the girth of the metatarsus was 17 cm), but the hooves on them were larger and wider (front hooves 12x8.5 cm2, rear hooves 10x7 cm2). The dark brown standing mane, 18 cm high without bangs, gradually turned into a narrow stripe of the same color that ran down the middle of the back and then ended with a tail. Clarity and completeness of color were given by the black tips of the ears (brown on the outside and white on the inside) and a strip of black hair running along the corolla around the hooves. The size of the ear from base to tip was exactly 17 cm. The tail of the kiang was neither the tail of a horse nor the tail of a donkey and was even different from the tails of other representatives of the group Hemionus. It more closely resembled the tail of a Przewalski’s horse: short hair grew along the rib, and long hair began only below, forming a “tassel” 54 cm long. Like the kulans, it had “chestnuts” (rudimentary remains of the 1st toe) only on the front legs , above the wrist joint.

After Lake Namtso, the kiangs stopped meeting. The road went up to the pass, located at an altitude of 4860 m above sea level. m. Not only animals, but also birds have become extremely rare here. Only high in the sky, looking out for prey, were steppe eagles and golden eagles circling.

Paradise for birds

The next day was more successful. We reached the central plateau, more often called Changtan here. On the section of the route between the two largest villages of Tsochen and Hertse, soon after leaving behind the town of Chundulomo, located at an altitude of 5500 m above sea level, the terrain became more level with many large and small, fresh and salt lakes. Their abundance is due to the large amount of precipitation, especially in summer (500-1000 mm), intensive melting of snow and ice in the mountains, on the one hand, and the lack of flow of this water, on the other. The shallow waters of the freshwater lakes are a haven for waterfowl that cross Tibet during their migrations, and provide ideal nesting sites for shorebirds and sardines. On many lakes the birds number in the thousands. Among them, the most common bird species are the coot ( Fulica atra), tufted duck ( Aythya fuligula), red-headed pochard ( A.ferina), teal-whistle ( Anas crecca), pintail ( A.acuta), common wigeon ( A.penelope), fire ( Casarca ferruginea), red-nosed pochard ( Netta rufina), great merganser ( Mergus merganser), common goldeneye ( Bucephala clangula), grey goose ( Anser anser), white-fronted goose ( A. albifrons), bean goose ( A.fabalis), great grebe ( Podicep cristatus), black-necked grebe ( P.nigricollis), herbalist ( Tringa totanus), avocet ( Recurvirostra avosetta), Tibetan gull ( Larus brunneicephalus), black-headed gull ( L.ichthyaeetus).

Diagram of the Tibetan Plateau.
The dotted line shows the expedition route

The last-mentioned species is found everywhere in western Tibet: concentrations of these birds (sometimes even numerous) are quite common on lakes, and individual individuals can often be seen flying along the beds of mountain rivers far from the lakes. Many Black-headed Gulls appear to winter in Tibet, although this observation contradicts the common belief that all birds of this species spend the winter on the coasts of India and Iran.

In those places on the plateau where evaporation is higher than water supply, salt lakes are formed. Near one of them, Tunzo, we met the largest group of kiangs, 36 individuals. It was evening, and the kiangs were grazing on the sparse vegetation of the rocky desert, keeping close to the mountains. Most likely there were several groups here that gathered together after snow fell in the mountains. We were extremely happy about this meeting, however, the cloudy weather prevented us from taking good photographs, and the overall picture still looked little like what Przhevalsky saw and described: only pikas were found in abundance among mammals, and larks among birds ( Eremophila alpestris elwesi, Alauda gulgula inopinata, Calandrella acutirostris tibetana, C.brachydactyla) and ground sparrows ( Pyrgilauda taczanowskii). It seems that the predictions of the Chinese scientist we met in Tsochen were coming true, who, having learned about the purpose of our trip, said that we had chosen the wrong route: we should have taken the road from Nagchu to Hertse, where you can still see not only many kiangs and orongo antelopes , but also wild yaks. The road that Dr. Wang was talking about runs along the southern border of the newly established Changtang National Nature Reserve. This is the largest nature reserve in China and the second largest in the world, with an area of ​​more than 70 thousand km2. It is second only to Greenland National Park, much of which is under ice. The territory of the Changtang Nature Reserve covers the highest part (from 5 to 5.6 thousand m above sea level) of the Tibetan Plateau (Sсha11еr G.B. Tibet's remote Chang Tang. In a High and Sacred Realm // National Geographic. 1993 August. P.64-87).

Dr. Wang's work often had to travel along this road to Herze, where he was engaged in the conversion of solar energy and electrification of the village, and we had no reason to doubt his words. He very much doubted that we, continuing to travel west, would see those we were looking for. But he had never been west of Herze. And since we could not change the route approved by numerous organizations in Lhasa, we could only hope that the situation would change for the better after Herze was left behind.

Sometimes you can find wild animals in places you wouldn't expect. In the village Herze, at the entrance to the Chinese hotel, had a red wolf cub tied up. It looked like people were treating him well: he got a whole lamb's head for dinner. Even the hotel owner's dog was friendly and playful towards him. And yet we really wanted to cut the rope that limited the wolf cub’s freedom.

Long-awaited meeting

Our hopes of meeting the kiangs in the lands lying west of Hertse were justified: between the villages of Yanhu and Gaki, at a distance of 188 km, we met 333 kiangs! Here, near the most beautiful lakes, there lived single animals, small groups and even a herd of 120 individuals. Among the adult animals there were many foals born this spring and already quite strong. Harmoniously built, fast, strong animals that could have disappeared from our eyes in the blink of an eye, but turned out to be so curious that they allowed us to get close enough to capture them on film.

“Well, now it starts,” we thought, and... the next day we did not meet not only a single kiang, but also not a single other large animal. After Gaki, the mountains became higher, the lakes disappeared, and the road entered the narrow valley of one of the tributaries of the Indus - the Senghe Tsangpo River. We had to wait a few more days for our next meeting with the Kiangs. They were not in the sands outside the city of Ali, where, having reached the westernmost point of the route and having received several more permits, we turned south, nor in the valley of another tributary of the Indus - the Gar Tsangpo River, occupied by large herds of cattle, nor in the clay mountains of the ancient principality Guge, In these mountains, the slopes of which are decorated with miraculous sculptures reminiscent of Buddhist sculptures, before us, who had not seen a single tree or a single bush for many days (taller and more beautiful than caragana), thickets of tamarisk and myricaria, painted with autumn colors, appeared like a miracle. ( Myricaria squamosa), as well as bushes sprinkled with orange berries and entwined with clematis and free-standing sea buckthorn trees ( Hippophae tibetana, H. salicifolia). In the thickets of sea buckthorn, great lovers of its berries flashed - red-bellied redstarts ( Phoenicurus erythrogaster) and red finches ( Carpodacus puniceus). These amazing brightly colored little birds nest in Tibet at very high altitudes, mainly between 4 and 5 thousand meters above sea level. The maximum recorded nesting altitude of the red-bellied redstart is 6100 m above sea level. After the nesting period, when females with their young fly away to spend the winter on the southern slopes of the Himalayas, the males remain in Tibet, where sea buckthorn and barberry berries help them survive the winter cold.

Having escaped the embrace of the fabulously beautiful mountains, we drove into the valley of the Lanengk Zangbo River, on the other bank of which the village of Tsada was located among the yellow poplars. We stopped in the village for one day to rest a little and explore the ruins of the princely palace of Guge - a completely unusual structure, with many caves and underground passages, built on a high clay mountain in the 10th-11th centuries. and destroyed during the Chinese Cultural Revolution.

When it was time to move on, Denzin suggested leaving Tsada along a new road. Without hesitation, we agreed, realizing too late that “new” here is not a newly built road, but a road recently laid by drivers, in fact, an off-road road. However, the views from the plateau above the clay mountains, and then the beauty of the “colored” volcanic mountains and crater lake, compensated for all the inconveniences associated with off-road driving. In addition, there was a flock of Himalayan, or snow, partridges ( Lerva lerwa).

To holy places

We were approaching the most sacred places of Tibet - Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarova, when the kiangs and gazelles that had disappeared from view suddenly revived the landscape again. At a distance of 75 km, which lies between the hot springs at the Tatapuri monastery and the village of Tarchen, perched at the foot of Mount Kailash, we counted 91 kiangs (65 grazing at Lake Lama Tso) and 49 Goan gazelles. On one side of the lake the almost regular cone of Kailash was white, and on the other the snowy peaks of the Himalayan mountains of Gurla-Mandhata shone. We have already noticed that the kiangs chose the most beautiful places in the southwestern part of Tibet to live. These animals certainly had an exquisite taste, which did not let them down this time either.

For followers of four religions (Buddhism, Hinduism, Jains and Bon), Kailash is the center of the world, this is the mountain that Shiva, Buddha and many bodhisattvas chose as their eternal refuge.

A bodhisattva is a person who strives to achieve the highest degree of perfection (Buddha), but has not yet entered nirvana in order to help other people on the path of perfection. Every Buddha was a bodhisattva for some time before entering nirvana.

The second Tibetan name for Mount Kailash is Kang Rinpoche. "Kang" means mountain, and "rinpoche" is the chief abbot of Tibetan monasteries. People come to this mountain like a priest to receive a blessing. For them, nature and culture are inseparable. Kailash is also a natural chorten. Tibetans believe that if you walk around the mountain once, you will be cleansed of all the sins you have committed during the year; if you repeat the rounds 12 times, you can be cleansed of all the sins accumulated during your life, and if you do 100 rounds, then in your next life you yourself will become a bodhisattva. For all followers of these religions, the goal of life is to break out of the circle of reincarnation and thereby achieve true freedom, i.e. get rid of the need to return to Earth again and again after death. That is why Kailash has always been a place of pilgrimage to which people living thousands of kilometers away flock. Nowadays, when Buddhism and Hinduism are gaining more and more popularity in Europe, the number of Western tourists is also increasing, many of whom come to Tibet with the sole purpose of circumventing Mount Kailash.

We, too, did not miss the opportunity to get rid of sins and set off on a journey around Kang Rinpoche, loading all the essentials onto the yaks. “Big crust” is the name of the 59 km long path around Mount Kailash. It begins in the village of Tarchen, at an altitude of 4575 m above sea level, and at its highest point, at the Dolma La pass, reaches 5636 m above sea level .m. On the first day, full of energy, we rejoiced at the opportunity to walk and were amazed at the clouds of Himalayan and pearl finches covering the sky ( Leucosticte nemoricola, L.brandti), counted scared hares, and sometimes even deviated from the main road to look at the footprint left by the Buddha, or at the huge stone supposedly thrown by Milarepa, or at one of the largest and most sacred, so-called “air burials” of Tibet.

In Tibet, there has long been a custom of returning the bodies of dead people to nature through living creatures - birds of prey and animals. Relatives bring the body to a special place, where it is cut into small pieces using a knife, and the bones are also finely crushed so that birds and animals can eat them faster. No matter how terrible this custom may seem, Tibetans follow it with the best intentions: in this way they help the soul of the deceased to free itself from the body as quickly as possible and reach heaven. The Chinese government did not take this “barbaric” custom into account, and in the 50s, when Tibet became part of China, it decided to put an end to it once and for all. Buddhist monasteries were destroyed, birds of prey - kumai ( Gyps himalayensis), griffon vulture ( Gypsum fulvus), bearded vulture ( Gypaetus barbatus) - mass extermination, and predatory animals, even dogs - poisoning. As a result of these systematic actions, by the 70s large birds of prey had become very rare, the barking of dogs in the villages had ceased, and the Tibetans nevertheless continued (now secretly) to bring the bodies of the dead to the sites of “air burials”. Crows, jackdaws and choughs could not cope with the “offerings” as quickly as large predators, and therefore the bodies of the dead remained “unburied” longer, which resonated with pain in the hearts of relatives. At the end of the 80s, it became obvious that this path of conquering Tibet did not give the desired result, and the government changed its policy: under certain conditions, monks were again allowed to live in monasteries, and the shooting of birds and poisoning of dogs stopped. Slowly, slowly, the populations of vultures and vultures began to recover, and primarily near the most sacred (and therefore most popular) “air burial” sites, for example in the vicinity of Lhasa, at the Sera and Pabongka monasteries.

After walking at least 25 km, we stopped near the Dirapuk Gompa Monastery. Here, in a dilapidated clay house with an earthen floor, on which several dirty mattresses were thrown, we were to spend the night. There were no other “hotels” here, and on a cold autumn night even such a shelter was better than a windswept tent.

The second day of the big bark was the most difficult. The road went up steeply. Stops to restore breathing had to be made more and more often. There was no longer any strength or desire left to deviate from the path. Everything was thrown towards achieving one goal: to get to the Dolma La pass. And then we saw a woman cheerfully walking towards us. She undoubtedly belonged to the followers of the Bon religion, only they walk around Kailash not clockwise, but counterclockwise. After exchanging greetings, we asked: how many times does she circumambulate Kailash? It turned out that this was her 98th lap around the big bark! Two more rounds around Kailash - and she will be guaranteed eternal freedom. One circle, which with full effort and a favorable set of circumstances, we could complete in two to two and a half days, was completed in 24 hours. In parting, we wished her good luck with all our hearts, paying tribute to the strength of her faith and physical toughness.

The painful climb ended with rejoicing at the top, attaching prayer flags (which were immediately lost among thousands of others), filling flasks with water from the sacred lake Tukye Chenpo Tso and, of course, photographs for memory. The difficult, seemingly endless descent was still incomparably easier than the ascent. One more night at the “hotel” of the Zutulpuk Gompa monastery - and we returned to Tarchen. Only then were we destined to understand how supportive Kang Rinpoche was towards us. In the afternoon it began to snow and continued throughout the next night. The paths became invisible, and bypassing Kailash became impossible. A group of Frenchmen who came to Tibet specifically to walk along the large crust had to leave with nothing. The German couple also had to return home with nothing, for whom this attempt turned out to be the third failure.

Land of unafraid animals

We continued our route, which now led to the sacred Lake Manasarova, and soon stopped in a small village of three or four clay houses, at the foot of the mountain, the top of which was decorated with the white buildings of the Chu Gompa monastery. Hot springs breathed steam on the river bank. From here it was no more than half a kilometer to the sacred lake.

The lake, surrounded by snow-capped mountains, overlooking Kailash, was of unearthly beauty, and a world of unafraid animals and birds reigned around. Here is the Himalayan eagle owl ( Bubo bubo hemochalana) is ready to pose for hours in front of the camera, and there are simply countless hares when they come out of their hiding places at sunrise and sunset to feed. On the water surface of the lake, as on other fresh lakes of Western Tibet, numerous water birds swim, and many waders wander in the shallow water, among which the first place in number is occupied by grasshoppers ( Tringa totanus); they are followed by sandpipers-sparrows ( Calidris minuta), in one flock there are sometimes more than 220 individuals; dunlins ( Calidris alpina) and round-nosed phalaropes ( Phalaropus lobatus). Here we also had unexpected encounters with bird species that usually do not settle on mainland lakes. It is known that birds nesting in Arctic territories, after nesting, fly either in a western direction - first to Western Europe, and then along the coast to their wintering places in Africa, or in an eastern direction - to the Chukotka region, and from there, again along the coast, to southeast Asia and Australia. Some species migrate eastward to Alaska and then turn south. What is much less known is that a small proportion of these birds fly not along the coast, but directly through the Asian part of Russia, China and India, and that some of them stop at fresh lakes. For many ornithologists, it became a sensation in the 70-80s to meet specimens of the Stone Shark ( Arenaria interpres) and gerbils ( Calidris alba) in autumn on fresh lakes in Eastern Nepal. The first reports of these meetings were received with great doubt. Along the coast of Lake Manasarova we also met quite a lot of turnstones, sometimes in schools of more than 30 individuals, and several gerbils. A fairly large number of these birds indicated that they did not find themselves here by chance and that most likely their path passed through Lake Manasarova.

Even more unexpected was the meeting with a large sandpiper ( C.tenuirostris), which nests in northeastern Siberia. Most of the Great Sandpiper population migrates to Australia for the winter along the coast, and a small part winters on the coast of India. Apparently, birds wintering on the coast of India, like some turnstones and gerbils, prefer to fly not along the coast, but across the mainland, stopping at the fresh lakes of Tibet.

In its unexpectedness, this meeting could be compared with the one that occurred in mid-February 1997. On the road from Shigatse to Lhasa, going through the Kampa La pass, we saw large flocks of mountain geese ( Anser indicus), who collected the remains of barley in the fields. Nowhere, not even in specialized ornithological literature ( 0gilvie M.A. Wild Geese. Berkhamsted (Great Britain). 1978), Tibet is not mentioned as a wintering site for bar-headed geese. They are believed to winter in Pakistan and northern India. And we counted more than 2.5 thousand mountain geese. We are ready to assert that these birds not only winter, but also nest in Tibet. Here they feel safe, since they have a status similar to that of the Kiangs - the Tibetans do not hunt them or eat their meat.

The abundance of birds, seemingly a common occurrence on the fresh lakes of Tibet, nevertheless serves as another confirmation for the Tibetans of the sanctity of Lake Manasarova, since on the neighboring Lake Raksas Tal, no matter how hard you look, you will not see a single bird. Tibetans consider Raxas Tal to be the devil's lake. Biologists explain this phenomenon by the fact that the lake is completely devoid of shallow waters where birds could feed.

On the sacred Lake Manasarova, as on any other sacred lake, you can neither fish nor sail a boat. You can only take a bath to wash away your sins with holy water. However, swimming is an act that requires a certain amount of courage, since the water temperature in the lake rarely exceeds +2°C. And if at the same time flakes of snow fall from the sky... The only consolation here is the thought that after swimming you can jump into a hot spring.

Violating the prohibitions protecting the lake is fraught with dangerous consequences. This was experienced by the Swedish explorer Sven Hedin, who in 1907 went to measure the depth of the lake in a small boat he brought with him. When Hedin was already far from the shore, a strong storm suddenly began, from which he miraculously managed to emerge alive: the boat, having been shaken considerably, was eventually washed by the wind to the other shore. For local people, this event became another proof of the sanctity of the lake and a clear example of how the spirit of nature can punish a person for insolence.

We really wanted to stay on the extraordinary lake longer, but the drivers were in a hurry. Black clouds that covered the sky and daily snowfalls made truck drivers especially worried: the Maium La pass could very soon become impassable for this obsolete vehicle.

On the day of departure, Lake Manasarova gave us an unforgettable sunrise, as if giving a sign that the wonders of the sacred lands were not over yet.

Between heaven and hell

Between the village of Khor and the Maium La pass, in a wide valley rich in lakes and springs, we finally saw an abundance of ungulates comparable to those described by travelers of the last century, although the diversity was limited to only two species. More than 600 kiangs and 200 Goan gazelles gathered in an area of ​​about 70 km. Our appearance caused quite a stir. The groups of kiangs closest to the road began to gallop, as if competing in speed with a truck and a jeep. The foals kept up with the adults. At the tail of one of the groups, apparently succumbing to general panic, a red fox settled in and ran at full speed. They all ran along the road next to the cars, and if they overtook them, they rushed across them. Such tactics in a different situation would undoubtedly lead them to a tragic end.

Kiangi in the valley before the Mailum La pass.
Our appearance caused a real commotion: the groups of kiangs closest to the road rushed
galloping, as if competing in speed with our jeep.

Denzin repeatedly saw in winter, along the main roads laid through wide mountain valleys, herds of hundreds of kulans and gazelles and how easily the animals became prey for all those who loved to shoot. At this time of year, kiangas and gazelles are especially in need of protection, as deep snow limits their mobility and they cannot escape. It is worth remembering that it was in this way that the Tarpans were exterminated from the southern Russian steppes.

In the valley where we arrived, nature itself took care of the safety of the animals. The Maium La pass becomes impassable for cars already at the beginning of autumn, and traffic between the village of Purang and Lhasa until spring is carried out along the northern circular route through the city of Ali. A heavenly calm reigns in the valley, thanks to which hundreds of herds of animals flock here from all directions.

But beyond the snowy pass, the sacred territories end. The wide valley, rich in food, where the Tsangpo River originates, serves as a winter pasture for numerous herds of domestic yaks, khainaks and sheep. It is deadly dangerous for Kiangs to come here. Heaven and hell for them lie side by side, separated only by the Maium La pass. At the source of the Tsangpo, at a distance of 30 km, we discovered five corpses of these animals (and two over the previous almost 3 thousand km)! They were killed by herders last winter. The logic is very simple: the kiangs eat a lot of grass, which, if not for them, would go to feed livestock, so the kiangs should be killed. Probably for the same reason, we did not meet a single kiang on the next section of the route - from Paryang to Saga. But beyond Saga, the road again goes into the mountains, where human influence is much lower, and there we met several more small groups of kiangs (from two to nine individuals). Before Sangsang we counted about 40 individuals. These were the last groups of Kiangs we saw on our trip to the southwestern part of Tibet.

In just 30 days (from September 27 to October 26, 1998), along a route of about 3800 km, we encountered 1125 kiangs, 690 Tibetan gazelles, not counting other species of animals. The list of birds that we compiled along the way included 130 species. Tibetan gazelles usually stayed in small groups (from two to 15 individuals), but three times we saw large herds of 70-110 individuals and 10 times single gazelles. They were often found together with kiangs, but nevertheless we got the impression that they are more widespread and less dependent than kiangs on large sources of water (lakes). We came across kiangas as single animals (12), pairs (9), and small groups of 30 individuals (21) and even herds of up to 160 individuals (10).

On the following routes through the central part of Tibet (the vicinity of Lhasa and the Eastern Trans-Himalayas), which we made in November, we did not encounter kiangs or Tibetan antelopes.

We saw them again later, at the end of November, on the way to Eastern Tibet. 150-250 km from Golmud, in the area of ​​the Kukushili and Marco Polo ridges in the northeastern part of the Changtan Plateau, we counted nine groups of kiangs, consisting of 3-14 individuals (63 in total). In the same places, but much earlier and in much larger numbers, Przhevalsky also met Kiangs. Unfortunately, we, who were passengers on a regular bus at that time, did not have the opportunity to either properly examine or photograph these animals. During the 36 hours of travel from Lhasa to Golmud, the bus broke down three times, but each time not in the places where the Kiangs lived. Therefore, we can only say with confidence that these were also dark-colored individuals and that they all stayed near the lakes. There were also their faithful companions - Tibetan gazelles and several orongo antelopes.

The data collected by us and other researchers indicates that kiangs are distributed throughout the Tibetan Plateau, but extremely unevenly. In the Trans-Himalayas, west of Lhasa, they were rare, and in the Eastern Trans-Himalayas they were not found at all. We did not encounter them throughout the entire valley of the Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) river, which at its sources is densely populated by livestock breeders, and in the middle reaches by farmers.

In the autumn-winter period, after snow has fallen in the mountains, kiangs gather in large herds on vast flat valleys with large fresh or salt lakes. We observed the largest concentrations of kiangs on the Changtan plateau - between the villages of Yanhu and Gak, on sacred lands in the vicinity of Mount Kailash - near Lake Lama Tso, and in the valley of a small river flowing into Lake Manasarova - between the village of Khor and the Maium La pass . J. Schaller noted ( Schaller G.V. Ibidem.) large concentrations of kiangs (groups of up to 200 individuals) in the wide valleys of the southern part of the Chang-tan reserve. There is also evidence that kiangs are found in the northern flat (as opposed to the mountainous southern) part of the reserve, where there are many lakes and good pastures. Seasonally they enter Sikkim, on the northern plateau, located at an altitude of 5100-5400 m above sea level. In Ladakh, these animals live in areas bordering Tibet.

It is generally accepted that the western subspecies of kiang lives in Ladakh, the southern one in Sikkim, and the eastern one in Northern Tibet, although all these territories are parts of the vast Tibetan Plateau, between which there is no, as is sometimes mistakenly assumed, an insurmountable obstacle in the form of the Himalayan range. It is even possible that there is no need to divide this species into subspecies. But this hypothesis, like other hypotheses, of course, requires proof.

It would seem that the presence of sacred territories and the exceptional status of equines in Tibet is an ideal situation for the kiang, in which there is no need to worry about its fate. But that's not true. China's growing influence on Tibet has its downsides in terms of nature conservation. Buddhist dogmas are beginning to lose their former meaning among the Tibetan population. And although Tibetan herders still do not eat kiang meat, they see them as competitors to their own livestock and no longer consider it a sin to shoot them if it occurs outside sacred territories. Moreover, other Tibetans do not follow Buddhist laws unconditionally. For a long time, people who call themselves “untameable” have lived on Changtan. They have always selectively followed Buddhist laws and now, for the sake of money, they are ready to break religious and any other prohibitions.

Now in Tibet, on the one hand, the protective status of historically established “reserves” (sacred Buddhist territories), where religion has long stood guard over nature, is not recognized and is grossly violated; on the other hand, new reserves are being created in which the protection is entrusted to rangers. There are already 12 such reserves in Tibet. In which of the two types of reserves nature is better protected, time will judge.

Literature

Article N.V. Paklina, junior researcher at the Institute of Ecology and Evolution named after A. Severtsova K.vana of the Order, Doctor of Philosophy, employee of the Department of Nature Conservation of the Province of South Holland (Netherlands)

In their homeland, representatives of the Tibetan Mastiff breed were called “dro-khi”, which means “tied dog”. This is explained by the fact that during the day they were tied near the dwelling, and at night they were released to guard the land. Tibetans were used as guard, hunting and fighting dogs. Watchful giants were greatly revered, since the safety of a family, and sometimes an entire village, often depended on them. The arrival of a puppy in the house was celebrated as a special event for which the whole family was preparing. The choice of a pet was taken very seriously - this process was accompanied by a special ritual, after which it was accepted as a full-fledged member of the family. During the selection, one very important point was taken into account - the puppy had to doze peacefully during the day, and at night, be in constant vigilance in order to protect people and animals from attacks by predators in the future. Thanks to their strong bones, powerful body and musculature, they could travel long distances through winding mountainous terrain. During long treks through the mountains, dogs were transported in special baskets with the help of pack animals. When stopping for the night, the Tibetan mastiffs were released and they, having chosen a convenient place, guarded the camp all night from visits from uninvited guests - people and wild animals. The dogs surprisingly easily endured the harsh climatic conditions of those high mountainous places, while eating only once every 2-3 days and fearlessly entering into battle with every predator. According to some sources, they even won battles with snow leopards. In Tibet, particular importance was attached to the tonality of the barking of Tibetan mastiffs. The most valuable representatives of the breed are dogs with a deep, deep voice that sounds like a “good brass gong.” To improve its quality, the pets were even given warm milk.

In their homeland, these beautiful dogs were often given massive purple collars made of yak hair around their necks to give the animals a more serious and respectable appearance. This tradition has survived to this day.

The roots of Tibetan mastiffs go back centuries - this is one of the most ancient breeds; there is a hypothesis that Tibetans have a direct connection with the descendants of the first dog that appeared on earth 5 thousand years ago. Research by geneticists has also confirmed that they are closer relatives of wolves than those breeds that are similar to them in phenotype.

Many authors sang the majesty and strength of Tibetan mastiffs. The first mention of them is preserved in the Chinese book Shu-king and dates back to 1122 BC. Then they were found in the works of Aristotle and the Greek philosopher Gosthenes, where the latter mentioned a giant dog with strong bones and a huge head. Several centuries later, in 1271, the famous traveler Marco Polo set foot on the lands of Tibet. The meeting with the Tibetan mastiffs impressed him very much - he described them as angry, huge dogs the size of a donkey with a voice as powerful as the roar of a lion, which were used to guard villages, as well as to hunt yak and tiger. He was amazed by their strength of body and spirit. However, this description was clearly exaggerated - the animals did not even reach a meter in height, however, this description excited the imagination of dog handlers and dog lovers for a long time.

For a long time, Tibetan mastiffs remained more legends than real dogs. Only in 1774, another European was lucky enough to meet the fearless conqueror of the Himalayan mountains. This happened thanks to the governor of Bengal, who sent George Buckle to Tibet in order to establish good relations with his neighbors. The mission was unsuccessful, but the envoy managed to get acquainted with the majestic dogs and write a description of them. According to his essays, the Tibetans of that time were tall animals with long hair and an aggressive character. Subsequent adjustments made to their description did not provide any new data to the overall picture. Until the middle of the 19th century, they were content with them, until genuine representatives of the breed arrived in the West.

The reputation of vicious and ferocious dogs was present for a long time in the form of Tibetan mastiffs and they were still positioned as wild animals, and not as potential guards and friends of man. The first individuals to arrive in England were sent to the London Zoo. Many of them could not withstand life in unusual climatic conditions and died. Those that managed to survive were awarded the status of "wild". Of course, the character of those dogs could not be called flexible, but, in fact, they were born watchmen and security guards, which requires willpower and strength of character. One of the first owners of brave giants was Queen Victoria - in 1847, Lord Harding, who some time later became the King of India, presented her with a small Tibetan as a gift. In 1898, the Berlin Zoo officially registered the first litter of Tibetan Mastiffs.

The history of representatives of this unique breed is inextricably linked with the sad history of their native state. Until the mid-twentieth century, these dogs lived exactly the same as 100 and 1000 years ago. But at the beginning of the twentieth century, an armed conflict arose between China and the then independent Tibet. As a result, Tibet was conquered, and the state was gripped by a crisis - people did not have enough food and many tried in every possible way to give up their huge pets, since there was simply nothing to feed them. And Tibetan mastiffs were on the verge of extinction. Then they were saved by the king of Nepal - Mahendra. By his order, a fairly large number of these dogs were brought from Tibet in 1966. And it was he who was the initiator of saving the Tibetans - he not only organized the program, but also personally allocated funds from his own royal treasury for its implementation. In the second half of the twentieth century, many tourists from all over the world flocked to Nepal - climbers, hippies, adventurers. These huge animals frolicking in the valley could not leave them indifferent - many tourists took dogs with the appearance of a lion with them to America and Europe.

The first specimens were initially brought to the United States by mistake - in 1958 they were sent to then-ruling President Eisenhower, to whom they initially planned to give graceful small Tibetan terriers. But instead of them, the ruler received two giants, which he soon, without hesitation, gave to Senator Gary Darby, who is fond of large breed dogs. This is exactly how Tibetan mastiffs began their march around the world. Their breeding in America was started by Anna Roar, who discovered representatives of the breed in Nepal and then founded the American Society of Mastiff Fanciers. In Europe, these dogs are bred in Germany, France, England, Holland, etc. Among European countries, Tibetan mastiffs are most popular in France - this was facilitated by the famous French actor Alain Delon, who was the first owner of Tibetans in his country and always spoke of them with special regard with enthusiasm. The number of individuals in Russia is very small, but the breed has excellent prospects. Over the past decade, they have gained great popularity in China, where today they are actively breeding them.

The Tibetan Mastiff is a powerful, heavy, tall dog with strong, well-developed bones and strong muscles. The back is straight, the body is powerful. The weight of an adult varies from 60 to 80 kg, the minimum height for females is 61 cm, for males - 66 cm, the maximum can reach 70-80 cm. The neck is muscular, strong, covered with a dense halo of mane, starting at the occipital protuberance and covering the withers. The head is wide, large, with a massive skull. The muzzle is full and square. The hanging triangular ears are set low, medium in size, and fit snugly to the head. Oval eyes are medium in size, expressive, set far away and slightly askew. Their color is all shades of brown. The nose is well pigmented. The limbs are strong and muscular. The thickly furred tail is set high, of medium length and curled behind the back.

The coat of representatives of the Tibetan Mastiff breed is unique - long, abundant guard hair and a thick undercoat are given to them for a comfortable stay in the snow, ice and piercing winds of the highlands. The neck and shoulders are decorated with a lush mane, which gives Tibetans a lion-like appearance. Males have more developed hair than females. The color is presented in several options - black, golden, chestnut, black and tan, various shades of gray. Golden or flame markings may appear above the eyes, on the hind or front legs, the tip of the tail, and the inside of the legs. Residents of Tibet believe that the color of Tibetan mastiffs hides wise symbolism - the presence of a white spot on the chest indicates a brave heart, spots above the eyes of a lighter shade symbolize another pair of eyes, allowing mastiffs to see the soul of a person, his good and bad intentions, and also to foresee death. Additionally, the presence of these sacred dogs in the home is believed by many to bring health and safety to its owners.

Tibetans enjoy good health and longevity. Average life expectancy is 14-16 years. Due to its large size, hip dysplasia can occasionally occur, so you must monitor your pet’s health and have it x-rayed about once a year. Dogs of the Tibetan Mastiff breed develop very slowly - males reach sexual maturity at the age of 4 years, females - 2-3. Like wolves, they give birth only once a year.

In contrast to their ferocious appearance, the character of Tibetan mastiffs is characterized by softness, restraint and calmness, but this is only if there are no external irritants, in their opinion, dangerous for their beloved owners and their property. They are very intelligent and self-sufficient animals. The guard qualities of these inhabitants of harsh mountain regions are remarkably developed - although they are human-oriented, they are always determined to protect the territories that belong to them. In the presence of the owner with any strangers, the dog will be restrained and calm. She loves affection and attention, but only when she wants it.

Tibetan Mastiffs are very intelligent and quick-witted, but they tend to be stubborn and defend their independence, of course, within the framework of a good relationship with a person. However, the owner should devote a lot of time to discipline, training and demonstrating his leadership qualities, because the dog can become uncontrollable. Early socialization is also important, since the guard purpose makes itself felt - pets can be withdrawn and too suspicious of strangers. They behave calmly with other dogs, responding adequately to aggression. Due to the security functions carried over through centuries, they prefer to sleep in the daytime and go out on duty at night, constantly checking their possessions. Usually they choose the highest point on the site and watch everything happening around them from there. However, they easily adapt to a different lifestyle if conditions require it.

In the family circle, Tibetan mastiffs behave very friendly and calm, distinguished by obedience, devotion and amazing charm. They love to be in the company of people and constantly follow their household. Dogs of this breed have rare intuition - they sense the change in the owner’s mood well and act in accordance with it.

Tibetans are famous for their excellent attitude towards children and allow the little ones to do absolutely everything - in this case you need to watch the child rather than the dog. Tibetan Mastiffs are affectionate with children, happy to become playmates, and when walking on a leash with them, they even adapt to the pace of their walking. Perhaps this attachment goes back to ancient times, when Tibetan villagers used formidable guards as nannies, completely trusting them to look after their children. However, it should be remembered that Tibetans tend to protect their loved ones and are not always able to distinguish between what is a game and what is a threat, so you need to be careful if friends come to visit your child. Other pets are treated very warmly, with constant attention and care, especially cats.

Another important feature of Tibetan Mastiffs is their loud, guttural bark, which is highly valued as an important characteristic of the breed. This point must be taken into account when choosing these dogs, since they will demonstrate their enviable vocal abilities every day, which not every neighbor will like.

Considering the willfulness and powerful dimensions of the pet, raising Tibetan Mastiff puppies should be approached with special responsibility, since even well-trained dogs are capable of making attempts to defend their rights in a given situation. To gently bypass stubbornness in upholding your own independence, in the training process you should skillfully combine firmness and patience, determination and tenderness. And, perhaps, one of the main elements of raising an obedient pet is timely and sufficient socialization. From approximately the 7th to the 17th week, the puppy should be regularly taken out to explore the world in all its forms. The pet must actively come into contact with the surrounding reality - this will strengthen his nervous system and character.

When choosing a Tibetan Mastiff as a pet, you should remember the peculiarities of using these dogs and know their original purpose. Of course, he will feel most comfortable in a country house with a large plot, where he can realize his watchdog functions. Adults need daily long walks and physical activity. They are active, especially at a young age, and will happily run, play and even swim. They are unpretentious in food, they eat little - no more than a Labrador or a boxer. Two meals a day will be enough, and they should always have fresh water at their disposal.

Caring for the luxurious coat of Tibetan Mastiffs is not a particularly difficult task. It is enough to comb them two to three times a week. In the spring, when the molting period begins, this needs to be done more often - at this time the amount of hair combed out can be truly amazing. In show dogs, special attention is paid to the mane - improving its “lion-like appearance”. They are very clean and odorless, so they do not need frequent washing.

The Tibetan Mastiff is the most expensive dog breed in the world. As for their cost, it can vary dramatically in different countries. For example, in China, the presence of such a dog in the house is a sign of high social status and well-being. Individuals with a reddish-red color are especially revered (red, as is known, is a symbol of good luck and prosperity in China). Therefore, in the Middle Kingdom, prices for Tibetans can range from several hundred thousand dollars to a million or more. It is Tibetan mastiffs that hold records for value - in 2010, a dog named Red Lion was purchased for 1 million 465 thousand dollars, in 2011, a Chinese coal magnate acquired a fiery-colored pet named Big Splash for 1.5 million dollars, in 2012 A new record was broken - the Tibetan mastiff puppy Emperor was sold for $1.6 million. There are also rumors that in 2014, a native of a prestigious Chinese nursery was sold for 12 million yuan, which is more than 1.9 million dollars. However, there is information that by 2015, active breeding and the unsuitability of these animals for living in urban conditions had reduced prices for the best representatives of the breed to $2,000. In other countries, Tibetan mastiffs are valued differently, but not on such a large scale as a few years ago in China. For example, in the UK the average price is 1500-2000 dollars, in Ukraine and Russia – 1000-2500 USD.

Yaki is artiodactyl large mammals with short legs. Animals are capable of carrying heavy loads. Yaks are renowned for their extreme strength and endurance. There are representatives that have characteristics of several species. Long-haired mountain animals are similar to ordinary bulls and combine the characteristics of a goat, bison and ram. The wild yak is not adapted to life in areas inhabited by people.

Domesticated yaks were used to help with hard peasant labor. This is evidenced by ancient miniatures depicting this animal. In Tibet, the yak is praised. They even issued postage stamps with his image. The wild yak is designated in chronicles as a great evil for humans. He is dangerous and becomes scary when he attacks. Bull hunting was attractive to the warriors of the eastern armies. Warlords decorated their heads with yak tails.

Description of the appearance of the yak

The yak mammal has a long, large build and short legs. The front part of the body is more developed; there is a raised hump at the withers. The short legs end in round hooves. There are long horns on the head that grow to the sides, and they bend upward. Depending on the species, the maximum length of the horns is 95 cm. In addition to the muzzle, the entire body is covered with long hair that hangs to the ground. Hairline forms a hem. There are characteristic white markings on the muzzle. In winter, the normal functioning of the body is ensured by a thick undercoat. The main habitat is Tibet, as well as other parts of Asia.

Use of yak wool

When an animal sheds, the fur falls out in clumps. Its color is grayish-black or dark brown. Domesticated yaks are raised as draft animals for milk and meat. Tibetans make harnesses and other items from yak wool. Wool does not absorb water and does not cause allergies; clothes made from it are very wearable. To make items, the wool is carefully combed. List of yak wool products:

• souvenir toys;
• cloth;
• ropes;
• sleds;
• strand.

Reproduction and mating season of bulls

Males are twice as large as females and weigh from 0.95 to 1 ton. The female carries the fetus for 9 months. The cubs stay with their mother for up to a year. Puberty occurs at 6-8 years of age. The yak lives on average 25-30 years. Aggressive, especially during the mating season, which occurs in September-October. At this time they join the herd of cows. Heavy fights occur between males.

The yak uses its horns to pierce its opponent sideways, and this distinguishes it from other bovids. When attacking, the male holds his head high and develops a horse-like tail. He doesn’t know how to roar or moo, but only grunts when he’s angry. This applies to domestic breeds; wild yaks are silent. During pregnancy the male leaves the pregnant female. Domesticated animals are well trained and are found in circuses.

An adult representative reaches 4.25 m in length and 2 meters in height. He has a good sense of smell, in contrast to the organs of hearing and vision. Very hardy. There was an individual with three bullets in the head and fifteen in the chest. Even in this form, the yak remained very hardy. The animal is a dangerous species of mammal, especially when wounded. Cannot stand being close to humans. Yaks can gather in herds, but with age they separate from their relatives and exist alone. Other characteristics of the yak:

Yak bulls have been living in Tibet for about 10,000 years. They rise to a height of 4000 km in winter, and in summer - to 6000 km. Wild yaks nowadays predominate in high areas, away from people. Animals choose this movement because of extinction near people. Domestic individuals stay closer to their relatives. The bull can be found in the Tibetan plateaus: Karakoram, Ladakh.

In Tibet they praise the yak - there you can buy souvenir figurines. Tibetan yaks live in herds of 10-12 animals. If the herd is in danger, the kids are driven into a circle for protection and defend themselves. In the works of N.M. Przhevalsky there are descriptions of a herd of several thousand heads. In the 19th century, he was the first to describe the animal, but it was difficult: obtaining information is difficult due to the inaccessible habitat.

Fun marmots live in Tibet

Marmots of Tibet - what their behavior means and how to photograph them

Tibet is a huge plateau, comparable in area to Peru. It is almost completely covered with steppe: grass in the valleys, on passes, on the slopes of ridges. Only in the deepest valleys can forests and woodlands be seen, and in some places there are areas of desert. Most of Tibet is sparsely populated, especially the northwestern regions; it is still the most inaccessible place on our planet. Large ungulates and predators live there - wild yak, kiang, snow leopard, wolf. In more accessible places, large ungulates were replaced by herds of domestic yaks, and predators larger than foxes were scared away by herding dogs. Small animals, on the contrary, thrive due to a decrease in the number of predators. Such a preponderance of rodents is harmful for the ecosystem, but the rise in the marmot population makes them very easy to photograph. They are everywhere.

Marmots live in large colonies in the steppe. Each family of several marmots grazes around its own hole - the marmot. If a rodent notices danger, someone tall: a predator or, for example, a person with a camera, it runs to the hole, but does not hide, but stands higher at the entrance and begins to whistle in alarm. He does this, despite the fact that marmots are not hunted in Tibet. Thus, it is difficult to get close to the groundhog unnoticed - the neighbors have probably already warned him.

Marmots in the pasture:

The marmot is scared and runs to the marmot:

The marmot in a pose of danger examines the surroundings and whistles:

A family of marmots near the marmot is ready to hide:

As soon as you approach them, they go into a hole. If you hide nearby, after a while the groundhog will come out and look around. When you lie behind a stone or even behind a backpack and don’t move, and only your camera is visible from behind the cover, you can take a photo of a groundhog.

The groundhog looks out of the hole, checking if it is safe to leave:

In wild places, marmots are cautious, but where they graze yaks, they are already accustomed to constant proximity to large animals in the meadow, and it is easier to photograph them. If you pretend to be a yak: move very slowly, as if in slow motion, and pretend that you are not interested in marmots, but are just aimlessly slowly walking through the meadow and grazing, then you can get very close to the marmot.

Many pastures in Tibet are now fenced with netting. This is being done at the direction of the Chinese government to avoid overgrazing and to separate the plots. Previously, Tibetans drove yaks from one pasture to another without any boundaries.

But marmots don’t mind borders:

At the end of summer and autumn, marmots eat well in order to hibernate in a hole for the whole winter:

Juvenile marmots also eat up before winter, but not as much as adults. Adult marmot and juvenile:

And while I was watching for the marmots, we photographed this process:

(To be continued)