The great reindeer tribe

In a remote village in the northeastern district of Hulunbuir, in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, herders raise their reindeer the old-fashioned way, by keeping them half-wild in the forest.

The village of Aoluguya of the Ewenki ethnic group is known as the "home of the last hunting tribe" in China. But villagers have turned into guards as well, protecting the reindeer from hunters since August 2003, when the country called for "ecological migration" to better protect the forests along the Greater Hinggan Mountains.

In recent years, there have been only about 1,200 reindeer in the entire village. How to increase the population poses a great challenge for the Ewenki herders.

Their reindeer usually forage in the forests of the Greater Hinggan Mountains and return to the herders' tents every few days for salt.

From September to October each year is the mating season for reindeer. The males fight each other, and the victors guide the whole group deep into the mountains. The herders must go to the mountains to find and return the reindeer to ensure they won't be killed by poachers. The search process can be troubling and time-consuming.

The village has gained much attention recently on the internet, thanks to The Great Tribe, a documentary series that records 100 endangered villages in China. As the documentary points out, few young people today choose to stay in the forest with the reindeer. There are only 15 herders' tents in the village, guarded by the older generation.

Contact the writers through xiaoxiangyi@chinadaily.com.cn

Wu Xusheng, 44, an Ewenki herder, lights up a mixture of bark, reindeer excrement and waste wood to call his reindeer. The smoke is a signal that guides the reindeer group to return home.

Liu Xia, 55, an Ewenki herder, calls her reindeer in the forest. Photos by An Zhou / For China Daily

Two male reindeer fight in the mating season in a forest of the Greater Hinggan Mountains.

(China Daily European Weekly 12/08/2017 page4)