Ulaanbaatar
Dornogobi Aimag: A Herder Family with a Thousand Camels
Society
Ulaanbaatar, January 29, 2025 /MONTSAME/. At the very heart of the Mongol gobi, Bayasgalan Nyamsuren, a herder from Serven Bayankhoshuu bag of Mandakh soum of Dornogobi aimag, Mongolia, tends his 1008 camels with care and affection.
In 1996, N. Bayasgalan moved to the countryside to become a herder. Over the years, he did everything to grow his herd of camels and was honored with various titles and decorations, such as “Golden Calf Owner” in 2017, “Outstanding Herder of Mongolia” in 2018, and “Honored Herder of Mongolia” in 2024. Bayasgalan became the first and only herder in Dornogobi aimag to own a thousand camels. His family of seven is enjoying a pleasant winter in an area called Shiree Tsav in Serven Bayankhoshuu bag.
They raise 120-180 calves annually and milk 30-40 camels daily. The camels are a unique breed that reproduces once a year but can lactate throughout all four seasons. Bayasgalan's family produces 36-68 tons of milk annually, processes it into dairy products, and sells them primarily in Zamiin-Uud.
Bayasgalan Nyamsuren organized a festival to celebrate his title "Honored Herder of Mongolia" on January 26, 2025, in Dundgobi aimag, in cooperation with the People's Representative Khural of Mandakh soum and the Governor’s Office of Dornogobi aimag. Camel herders from Khanbogd, Manlai, and Tsogttsetsii soums of Umnogobi aimag, and Mandakh, Ulaanbadrakh, Khuvsgul, Khatanbulag, and Saikhandulaan soums of Dornogobi aimag participated in the festival.
The festival featured various camel-centric games and competitions, such as camel races for castrated camels, three- to four-year-old male camels, and two-year-old camels, and the selection of the “Best Couple on the Camel,” and “Best Female and Male Camels.” Dornogobi aimag’s camel population was 58,119 in 2024, an increase of 4,000 camels from the previous year. Meanwhile, the camel population of Mandakh soum was 11,474 camels, an increase of over 800 head compared to 2023, making it the aimag’s leading soum in camel population.
