Khan Khentii Mongolia, 2023

Four years ago we had planned an expedition to the Khan Khentii area of Eastern Mongolia. Alas, the pandemic and more recently the Ukrainian war forced us to postpone the venture. However, at the end of June this year it finally took place with a team of twenty-six intrepid individuals from six nations. The project was supported by the Scientific Exploration Society and moved in vehicles and on horseback.

Our tasks involved studies of the wild Przewalski horses, and in cooperation with the National University archaeological, botanical and zoological research. At the same time we gave medical and dental support to the local people, and provided books to local schools.

In the Hustai National Park we counted over 40 Przewalski horses, all in a good condition and many of the mares with healthy foals. We also saw 74 marmots (known to carry the flea that is host to Bubonic plague) and our camera traps recorded many Red Deer and a number of wolves.

Box traps and cameras helped us to study smaller mammals including Ground Squirrels, Siberian Chipmunks, Red Fox and of special interest to me, a Tundra Vole and Hamsters (I remember my daughter’s pet one that escaped and ate through our electric cables at home!)

Together with a Mongolian ornithologist we recorded rare birds including Swan Geese, Baikal Teal, Pochards, Horned Grebe, Bearded and Cinereous Vultures, many species of Crane, Northern Lapwing and both Bar-tailed and Black-tailed Godwits.

The botanists studied medicinal plants, whose spread has been affected by unfavourable weather and the growth of livestock, and we catalogued over a hundred species of plants and recorded their spread. Dried specimens were brought back for further study at the university.

British and Mongolian archaeologists studied Bronze Age tombs and “Deer Stones” , decorated with extraordinary carvings. Rock art dating back 30,000 years depicted men and animals, including rhinoceros were found and an ancient stone slab showed carvings of inhabitants dancing and a man engaged in sex! Two rare, green-coloured stone tools were also discovered.

Our medical team gave much appreciated advice to the local people and our dentist carried out fifty-two extractions and gave fluoride treatment to twenty-seven patients as well as carrying out oral cancer screening. Wool finger puppets made by a group of ladies in southern Dorset were given to children who had teeth removed. As usual, some said “please take out my tooth I want a puppet”.

Most of us returned fit and well but we had two casualties. One broke ribs when falling from his horse and another injured her wrist on a tumble when on a zoological quest. They received excellent treatment by our doctors and both are now home and recovering.

Unusually heavy rain made the cross-country journeys challenging, and our vehicles had to be pulled out of mud on several occasions. At one flooded river the drivers of our support trucks, old Russian Army 4 tonners, decided to avoid a damaged bridge and fearlessly drove into the torrent. Both got stuck in water four-feet deep and the engines died. However, a local horseman rode into the river carrying a rope to them and with this we pulled their winch cables to the bank, from which our four-wheel drive cars could haul them out.

We also attended a local Naadam Festival where colourful horse racing, wrestling and archery were practiced in an annual ceremony.

In between some spectacular thunderstorms that swept across the open steppes, we held our traditional Burns supper (regardless of the date) and downed Stahly’s haggis from Scotland and a few drams in the moonlight.

It proved to be a most successful expedition well enjoyed by our international team and appreciated by our Mongolian hosts, led by Prof Terbish of Great Genghis Expeditions, Ulaan Baatar.