honorable mention
Tessa Chan united kingdom
Photo © Tessa Chan
title
Mongolia's Bankhar Dog Project
A non-profit organisation, MBDP is reintroducing these ancient livestock guardian dogs to the steppes, to prevent human wildlife conflict, protect livestock and support sustainable herding. Once ubiquitous in Mongolia as a livestock guardian, Bankhar dogs are now rare. They are uniquely adapted to Mongolia’s harsh climate, with denser fur than any other dog alive. An adult Bankhar can weigh up to 58kg.
Mongolia's steppes are being destroyed by climate change and overgrazing. Herders, whose main source of income is cashmere, are forced to keep larger quantities of goats to compensate for losses due to severe weather and pasture degradation. Their animals are also hunted by predators.
MBDP hopes that providing these dogs as an effective protector for their livestock will stop them from overcompensating and keeping extra goats to hedge their losses.
By protecting livestock from apex predators the Bankhar are also helping decrease the number of retribution kills of wolves, snow leopards and other predators.
During the trip I was grateful to get to know these very special dogs first hand, they are affectionate and loyal creatures. I also learnt much about the challenges the nomadic herders face today, especially with climate change. The Bankhar are true canine conservationists, supporting the herders' efforts to use their land sustainably.
Tessa believes in visual storytelling as a powerful tool to provoke social change. This is what motivates her to continue to learn, and add skills to her toolkit. She studied feature writing with the London School of Journalism, photojournalism with the New York Institute of Photography and is a videographer and CAA-certified drone pilot.
She has lived in Madrid, Hong Kong, Beijing, Paris – and now calls Bristol home.
back to gallery
entry description
I shot these photos this Spring, during a road trip across Mongolia from Hustai to South Gobi, together with 11 puppies and 2 team members from the Mongolia Bankhar Dog Project (MBDP). The photos were taken on assignment for a feature I wrote for the South China Morning Post.A non-profit organisation, MBDP is reintroducing these ancient livestock guardian dogs to the steppes, to prevent human wildlife conflict, protect livestock and support sustainable herding. Once ubiquitous in Mongolia as a livestock guardian, Bankhar dogs are now rare. They are uniquely adapted to Mongolia’s harsh climate, with denser fur than any other dog alive. An adult Bankhar can weigh up to 58kg.
Mongolia's steppes are being destroyed by climate change and overgrazing. Herders, whose main source of income is cashmere, are forced to keep larger quantities of goats to compensate for losses due to severe weather and pasture degradation. Their animals are also hunted by predators.
MBDP hopes that providing these dogs as an effective protector for their livestock will stop them from overcompensating and keeping extra goats to hedge their losses.
By protecting livestock from apex predators the Bankhar are also helping decrease the number of retribution kills of wolves, snow leopards and other predators.
During the trip I was grateful to get to know these very special dogs first hand, they are affectionate and loyal creatures. I also learnt much about the challenges the nomadic herders face today, especially with climate change. The Bankhar are true canine conservationists, supporting the herders' efforts to use their land sustainably.
about the photographer
Tessa Chan is a multimedia journalist, who specialises in deep-dive multimedia features with a focus on exploration and conservation. Her stories have taken her from the remote steppes of Western Mongolia to the frozen seas of the Arctic. They’ve seen her take on a hair-raising six-hour motorbike ride through rural Indonesia, hike overnight into an active volcano, escape a charging black rhino in Kenya and join a flag expedition in search of Genghis Khan’s secret tomb.Tessa believes in visual storytelling as a powerful tool to provoke social change. This is what motivates her to continue to learn, and add skills to her toolkit. She studied feature writing with the London School of Journalism, photojournalism with the New York Institute of Photography and is a videographer and CAA-certified drone pilot.
She has lived in Madrid, Hong Kong, Beijing, Paris – and now calls Bristol home.
back to gallery
