Reindeer herders threatened by modern world

By Luke Distelhorst

KHOVSGOL LAKE, Mongolia (Reuters) - North of nowhere and high above the pristine, alpine Khovsgol Lake in the forests of northern Mongolia, the Gansukh family sits in their teepee home while their reindeer graze outside.

These members of the Tsaatan, or reindeer herder, tribes are nomads. But as development creeps in even here, leaders say they know they may be the last generation of Mongolia's nomadic reindeer herders.

"Of my four sons, two will learn to herd reindeer," said Gansukh. "But my other two sons must go to school, be educated and can live in the big city. This is a developing world," he said, his thin moustache stained with the residue of his tea.

A tiny ethnic minority, the Tsaatan live far from the rolling grassy steppes that characterise Mongolia.

Surrounded by 3,000-metre peaks, dense forests and pristine lakes, the scenery closely resembles Siberia, just over the border to the north.

The Tsaatan share little with other Mongolians. They herd reindeer instead of traditional livestock and adhere to shamanism instead of the more widely practised Buddhism.

PRESSURE FOR DEVELOPMENT

High in the country's northern reaches, many tribe members are also cut off from Mongolia's rapid development.