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Text message update - 19th October:
The sheep have made it safely and so have we. Total transhumance success! Any predators along the way were kept well away by the ever vigilant dogs. Leaving them and the sheep is hard; their absence feels unnatural and makes me restless, but an evening feasting on Karakachan sheep and listening to traditional music is a perfect way to celebrate. As is the Stadyanka we experience with the village women wearing traditional dress. The importance of sheep in Bulgarian culture is demonstrated by the actions that accompany their songs: spinning, knitting and weaving. What an unforgettable week! I have witnessed the many benefits of transhumance. It's re-establishment will beneft people and wildlife equally. May this be the first of many!
Text message update - 18th October:
The sheep moved away from the camp in the night but the dogs reassure us. They are not far away. Another day on the move, guiding our flock to their winter pastures - we work well together, united in our purpose but I can't get used to the beauty or abundance of the landscape. The importance of traditional grazing is evident as we travel. We are very close to the Turkish border and the flock's destination. It feels as if we have been walking forever and I don't want to stop.
Text message update - 17th October:
Our shepherd, Dobre, is enjoying being in charge of the horse and cart that is carrying our camp equipment. We make camp in an ancient meadow surrounded by woods, illuminated by moonlight and accompanied by the sound of crickets and sheep bells. The Strandzha area is very different. We transhume through old villlages and meet inhabitants before progressing up into the foothills. The vegetation and climate are now Mediterranean and we are in Imperial Eagle and European Ground Squirrel country - both rare!
Text message update - 16th October:
Our last day in the Central Balkans ends in an old, decaying collective farm where the sheep and dogs are loaded onto a truck in the darkness. We are all travelling the next 150 km by road. It's so strange to be separated and the absence of sheep sounds and feels wrong. We reach SE Bulgaria late and tired but food, raki and the prospect of a shower once again revives us all!
Text message update - 14th October:
Today we have been travelling through high open grasslands so the sheep took a lot of persuading to keep moving. I'm hoarse with shouting but it feels fitting to travel these huge expanses at sheep pace. We have made camp before dark today. The sheep are safely coralled in a thornscrub enclosure and it's full moon. It's good to be alive! As I write jackals are howling in the distance. Who knows what else is near?
Text message update - 13th October:
The mountains and valleys below are breathtaking - dangerous considering getting the sheep here has sapped our strength! We continue through high mountain scrub and back into forest as we begin our descent. Dusk falls, then darkness. I lead the horse, grateful for the light of the moon. We make camp late. A camp fire, food and raki prove revivifying though. Just as well, as the sheep start wandering so shepherding duties don't end until midnight.
Text message update - 13th October:
We set off to the sound of sheep bells, following well worn trails through the forest. I have never seen so many mushrooms and know how the sheep feel having to walk rather than eat! The slopes get steeper, the forest thicker and paths frequently peter out. Herding the sheep in this terrain is exhausting.
Text message update - 13th October:
The moon is bright. The dogs are barking - probably jackals around but it itensifies so sounds like wolves! But we can sleep easy knowing the Karacatchan dogs are keeping the sheep safe. I'm woken again by mule braying and dogs barking. Jackals were the cause earlier but now it might be wolves. The dogs deal with whatever might be threatening the sheep. Morning brings more barking and braying but this time it's mushroom collectors - old women from the village wearing plastic shoes, patterned headscarves and carrying big bags.
What am I doing in Bulgaria?
I'm in the Bulgarian mountains, in Kotel, about to join a transhumance of local Karachahan sheep, guard dogs and horses. These are traditional breeds, as locally endangered as the wildlife they share a habitat with, as well as the local shepherds that still practice this tradition. What I find so exciting it that transhumance mirrors the movement of wildlife. As autumn advances, animals move.
All over the world, mountain ungulates and the predators that rely on them, move down from the heights and come down the mountains to find food for the winter. In agricultural terms, this mirroring of natural wildlife patterns, has resulted in preventing overgrazing and has maintained biodiversity through grazing patterns of lowlands and mountain pasture.
Transhumance is not just European, but is a worldwide phenomenon. It can be argued that transhumance is as old as man – following wild food 'on the hoof' and subsequently adapting this practice to the management of livestock. In Europe this usually means what is called Fixed Transhumance: the vertical seasonal movement of man and livestock from high mountain pastures in summer down to lowland pastures in winter, but in the rest of the world this includes nomadic transhumance, where people follow seasonal patterns and graze their livestock accordingly.
What struck me today in Kotel, as we met the shepherd and celebrated the transhumance, with song, food and wine, was how similar this was to Siberia, where I have worked with nomadic people for many years. Wherever transhumamce is practiced, I encounter this same connection with the environment and the same joy and celebration. The common denominator is traveling with livestock through wild areas. This means sharing the journey with predators, understating the landscape and ultimately a close relationship with the natural world – it's not surprising that the accompanying cultural traditions are so important.
It could be argued that this age old tradition has no place in the modern agricultural world, but the extent of it's importance is now gaining recognition – in maintaining biodiversity, enhancing the environment. Not to mention cultural importance and ecotourism potential. Spain and France have had great success in reviving this tradition with significant agricultural, wildlife and cultural benefits.
I'm looking forward to tomorrow, when we set off – with a herd of Karakachan sheep, dogs and horses, and knowledgeable shepherd, and conservationists, through one of the most ecologically important parts of Europe. We will have Bears and Wolves as neighbours and an impressive list of birds of prey.
I'll keep you posted!
Further Reading:
Next report: Transhumance Success!
More on Tranhumance in Bulgaria