Khustai National Park

With my time rapidly dwindling (less than 100 days!!), I've found myself longing to do everything and see everything this place, my home for the last three years, has to offer.  Due to my remote location the first two years, I was reluctant to travel and play tourist.  I wish I hadn't been.  Making up for lost time, I'm cramming in all I can these last three months. 

One thing I had always wanted to see was the Takhi horses of Khustai National Park.  Why?  Take it away, Wikipedia: "Most "wild" horses today, such as the American Mustang or the Australian Brumby, are actually feral horses descended from domesticated animals that escaped and adapted to life in the wild. In contrast, Takhi horses have never been domesticated and remain a truly wild animal."  BOOM!  How cool is that!?  Luckily, Khustai is only about 90 minutes outside of UB, the perfect distance for a day trip.  We we planning to hire a friend who works as a guide for tourists in the summer, but stumbled upon a budget tour and decided to go that route instead.  Hey, we're broke PCVs!  We got what we paid for, meaning not much (no guided tour, no museum stop, no visit to the cultural artifacts), but we got to enjoy a day out of the city and we did see about a half-dozen Takhi horses so I guess we can't complain.

The park is about 60 miles out of the city.

 Our first stop, right after we entered the park.  BEAUTIFUL day!

 Ovoo with the mountains in the background.

 Signs of Spring!

 Marmot!  These guys are becoming more and more rare as they are a traditional "delicacy" (gut, blowtorch the fur off, stuff with hot rocks, sew shut, let cook, enjoy).

 Yows.

 Our guide asking a herder if he's seen the Takhi horses.  I was really surprised herders were allowed in the park but I guess it's part of their "Buffer Zone" and Community Based Tourism initiatives.

 The home we stopped at; they're a friend or distant relative (?) of our guide.  

 Baby goats and sheep...

 ...and baby cows!

 They were just too cute!

 

 I don't know what it is, but something about it being Mongolia...It's just cuter!

 

The PC gang!

 This wittle won was swo tiny!

The babies even got their own gers.  So spoiled!

 View of the ger compound from the hill beside it.

 It really was a gorgeous day, even with the wind.

 Next we stopped along the Tuul river; had to get a shot with the Mongol horses.

 So clean and clear!

 Green!

 Snow.  :(

After lunch we started on our serious quest to find the Takhi horses.  Unfortunately, it was becoming evident we were not going to find the herd (of only about 300 horses in approximately 200 square miles!), but that we might be able to see a few stragglers roaming with Mongolian horses.  A couple more stops to consult with herders and we were pointed which way to go.  Over a rise we came and there he was, our first Takhi horse, consorting with his harem of Mongol horses (and yes Dad, they CAN interbreed according to Wikipedia:  Takhis "can interbreed with the domestic horse and produce fertile offspring (65 chromosomes)."

 We, no joke, stalked this guy for a good half-hour.

 Then we saw this group of three Takhi on a hillside!

 The view from where we stopped to see the above Takhi.

 On our way out of the park we saw this Takhi really slumming it with not only Mongol horses but with cows! 

 Pose for me, horsey!

He has a very diverse group of friends.

I was a little bummed not to see the Takhi herd or any of the other wildlife in the park (there's an elk-like deer, gazelle, a lynx-looking cat, eagles & vultures...) but again, this was a super budget trip, and my one true goal was to see the Takhi and we did.  It was really overwhelming to see a creature that was once considered extinct, only existing in zoos, knowing that it was brought back from the brink and is now thriving in its original, natural habitat.  Definitely a once in a lifetime experience.