Across Mongolia’s vast grassland steppes, an ancient partnership continues its steady return, protecting wildlife, sustaining nomadic livelihoods, and strengthening connections to the country’s cultural heritage.
In 2026, the Mongolian Bankhar Dog Project marks more than a decade of impact. Founded in 2014, this nonprofit organization was created to restore ecological balance on the steppe by combating desertification, safeguarding native wildlife, and supporting Mongolia’s enduring nomadic traditions through the revival of the Bankhar dog.
More Than a Decade of Restoration
The Mongolian Bankhar is an ancient livestock guardian breed that has protected herds for centuries. For generations, these dogs stood watch beside nomadic families, guarding animals through long winters and clear, star-filled nights.
Today, that tradition is active once again. The Project breeds, trains, and places Bankhar dogs with herding families across Mongolia. In landscapes shared with wolves, snow leopards, and bears, the presence of a Bankhar reduces livestock losses by 80 to 100 percent, allowing predators and herders to coexist with significantly less conflict.
Healthy herds provide families with the flexibility to rotate pastures, diversify livestock, and manage grazing more sustainably. These practices slow desertification and protect the fragile steppe ecosystem. Over the past decade, the Project has gifted Bankhar dogs to more than 80 nomadic families, strengthening an enduring relationship between people, dogs, and land.
A Decade of Partnership at Three Camel Lodge
Three Camel Lodge’s partnership with the Mongolian Bankhar Dog Project began in 2015. That year, Jalsa received the Lodge’s first Bankhar, a young pup named Barbus, personally gifted by Bruce and members of the Project team during a visit to the Gobi. Barbus was not only the first dog placed at the Lodge, but the catalyst for a deeper conservation commitment.
In 2016, Barbus began his presence on the Lodge grounds, patrolling and adapting to life among staff and guests. His temperament and instincts demonstrated the value of the breed and solidified the Lodge’s long-term engagement with the Project.
In 2019, Three Camel Lodge formally expanded its involvement by launching an on-site breeding program in collaboration with the Mongolian Bankhar Dog Project. This milestone built upon earlier placements and aligned the Lodge directly with the Project’s mission to increase the Bankhar population and support herding families across Mongolia. Updates shared between 2020 and 2022 documented the early progress of this breeding initiative and its growing impact.
As of early 2026, the Lodge is home to sixteen new puppies born in two litters. Eight arrived late last year, followed by another eight in late January. On January 30, 2026, a joint team from the Project and the Lodge vaccinated the first litter, providing protection against rabies, distemper, and parvovirus.
Though still small and unsteady, these puppies represent the next generation of guardians. In the months ahead, many will be placed with nomadic families, where they will protect herds, reduce predator conflict, and contribute to sustainable land stewardship. Their vaccinations mark the beginning of a healthy life and ensure that the Bankhar tradition continues into the future.
Conservation in Practice for 2026 Travelers
For guests visiting Three Camel Lodge in 2026, the Bankhar program remains one of the most meaningful expressions of conservation in action. Visitors can observe the dogs at work, learn about nomadic pastoral life, and understand how traditional knowledge and modern conservation science align on the steppe.
Supporting initiatives such as the Mongolian Bankhar Dog Project allows travelers to participate in a model of tourism that protects Mongolia’s wildlife, strengthens rural livelihoods, and preserves cultural continuity. The experience extends beyond observation, offering insight into how carefully managed travel can sustain both ecosystems and communities.
Instinct, Genetics, and a Living Heritage
What continues to distinguish the Mongolian Bankhar in 2026 is its unique genetic heritage. Unlike many livestock guardian breeds shaped extensively through selective breeding and intensive training, Bankhars developed naturally over centuries on the Mongolian steppe.
Where many foreign guardian dogs rely heavily on commands, Bankhars rely on instinct and intuition. They remain calm when no threat is present, blending seamlessly into daily life with herders and livestock. When danger approaches, whether wolves, bears, or other predators, they respond with decisive protection.
This balance of composure and vigilance makes the Bankhar uniquely suited to Mongolia’s wide landscapes. In 2026, it stands not only as a working dog, but as a living symbol of harmony between people, wildlife, and land.
Honoring Barbus: The Beginning of a Legacy
In 2026, this progress also carries a moment of reflection. Barbus, the Lodge’s first Bankhar and the foundation of this partnership, has passed away.
Barbus was more than a guardian. He was the reason Three Camel Lodge deepened its commitment to the Mongolian Bankhar Dog Project. His presence demonstrated how traditional pastoral knowledge and conservation science could align in practice. He helped establish the Lodge’s breeding program, sired and nurtured litters, and embodied the calm vigilance that defines the breed.
From his arrival in 2015 to the launch of the breeding initiative in 2019 and the growing litters that followed, Barbus shaped the trajectory of the Lodge’s conservation engagement. The sixteen puppies now on the ground in 2026 are part of that living legacy.
His watch has ended, but the work continues. Across the steppe, new guardians are rising, carrying forward the ancient partnership he helped restore.
