Bactrian camels in the Gobi usually give birth to a baby camel every second year. But because of the terrible weather conditions, it is common for a mother or baby to die during or after delivery. The result is often lonely babies and sad mothers who need one another.
After centuries in the desert, the locals have developed a unique musical practice when they want a mother camel to accept a newborn baby camel. When the practice starts, a musician plays his instrument, usually a Mongolian flute. The mother and baby are tied together, and another musician begins to sing: "khuus, khuus, khuus."
At first, the mother either pays no attention to the baby or treats it badly. The "coaxer (劝诱者)," at this point, changes the music based on the behavior. The singer begins to copy the sound of the camel's walking, running and voices. After many hours of this, the mother and baby are in tears, and are joined for life.
However, each year fewer and fewer young people are willing to learn and pass on this tradition. In addition, more and more Mongolian families are sending their children away to study and live in cities, and those who leave almost never return. The young people who remain in the desert struggle then to raise families that can help raise camels and keep the traditions alive. On top of that, many have discovered that motorbikes are cheaper than camels. All of this are killing the traditional way of life.
A few Mongolians have turned to the United Nations to help save this practice. In 2015, they added it to their "List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding," but it's hard to know what influence this can have beyond recognizing the existence of the practice.
