Jargalant

Mongolia

2024

In the sky, black kites circle over the ibex climbing the steep slopes. The Jargalant Khairkhan mountain rises 3,796 meters above sea level in the west of Mongolia, in the province of Khovd. Cautious steps follow the footprints of the snow leopard over the gradually melting river ice. The population of the endangered cat living here is an important part of the global population. At the foot of the mountains lies Khar-Us Nuur, one of Mongolia's largest freshwater lakes. For the nomads and their livestock, the lake and its tributaries are an important source of water in the dry steppe.