Local support

In the village of Altanbulag a dairy factory was built with financial help of the Dutch government and in another village, Atar, yoghurt is being produced. There is also a preventive medical and hygienic programme for children and the herdsman families.

In three villages special skill training centres for women have been set up; with the acquired skills the women will be able to start small businesses of their own. They can lend money for this from specially set up funds.

The Dutch "Stichting Doen" has provided the authorities of Argalant with money to restart the small flour factory.

A few years ago the Buffer zone Council, in which representatives from several local stakeholders participate. The task of the Council is to brainstorm about the developments in the buffer zone around the National Park. Its ulmitate goal is the establishement of sustainable management of the Park and its immediate surroundings.

Meanwhile the joint Mongolian and Dutch staff has proven that they are a perfect and adequate working relationship. Besides the Przewalski horses other wild herbivores are returning to the area. Some eighty to four hundred Mongolian gazelles were seen; some groups even stayed in Hustai for quite a long time. Beside the ever increasing numbers of Mongolian red deer (marals) some wild sheep and ibexes were spotted inside the Park.