Rock art and wild ibex
In the shadow of the Tavan Bogd massif are some of the most complex and exquisite petroglyphs to be found in Central Asia. In Tsagaan Saal and in Tsagaan Gol valley, rock art dating from the Neolithic and Bronze Ages give an insight into the life of ancient days. The images include ibex with long curved horns, deer with chandelier antlers, mounted bowmen, camels drawing wagons, snow leopards and rudimentary ger tents. The sacred mountain of Sheveed Uul in the Tsagaan Gol valley holds a storybook of images extending for 15km around its flanks. As well as ancient rock art, local knowledge credits Sheveed Uul as home to roughly 400 wild ibex.A number of endangered mammals live in the Altai Mountains including the snow leopard, wolf and argali sheep – a mountain sheep with impressive corkscrew horns. One mammal that thrives in these mountains is the delightful marmot. If they aren’t standing ‘lookout’, their chubby bottoms can be seen bouncing across the fields and disappearing into a burrow.
