But camels aren’t completely desert-proof,
and females only give birth to one calf every
second year (after a 13-month pregnancy) to
cope with the harsh conditions. This severely
limits their numbers. There is the additional
risk of losing mother or baby during labour;
even if both survive, the exhausted female
might reject her calf, and it will die.
To save as many mother–calf pairs as
possible, the community engages in a curious,
centuries-old ritual called camel coaxing,
which begins at dusk or dawn. Hoping for
a bereaved female to foster an orphan or
reconcile a calf with its mother, everyone
dresses up in traditional garb and sits in a
circle around the pair. Once the sun touches
the horizon, a musician strums a morin khuur,
or horsehead fiddle, and the herders begin
chanting a khöös song, containing petitions to
the spirits of Nature. Camel milk may also be
proffered to the gods.
Initially, the female camel can lash out
at the calf violently, spitting and biting.Observing her behaviour, the herders then
change the khöös tune, weaving in poetry
and song, or mimicking the sound of camels
running and calling. These incantations
continue for up to 12 hours, by which time
the camel pair, and watching audience, are
weeping with emotion. Adult and calf are
henceforth bonded. Herders say that this
practice embodies the importance of patience
in developing relationships.
Despite the tenderness of this ritual,
Mongols were once feared for their savage
temperament, with no better representative
than the warlord Genghis Khan, who in
1206 brought the Eurasian continent to itsWHEN
The weather is most
bearable in summer,
between June and
September
WHERE
Camel coaxing is a highly
spontaneous event, but
the highest chances
of running into one are
in Bayanlig District in
Bayankhongor Province
HOW
From Bayankhongor
Airport, take a bus or taxi
to Bayanlig District. Travel
permits may be required
EXPERIENCE
C A M E L
COAXING
To save as many mother–
calf pairs as possible, the
community engages in a
curious, centuries-old ritual
BayankhongorMONGOLIA
PHOTO © SHUTTERSTOCK