the Mongolian dzud

The piles of dead, frozen sheep and goats lay stacked against the rocks, just out of sight.
They are victims of the dzud, an unseen and brutal natural disaster unique to Mongolia where a summer drought combines with a harsh winter and vast numbers of livestock die from either starvation or cold.
The last dzud in 2010 killed eight million animals. It is thought to descend in five-yearly cycles and each time it wreaks havoc

Again and again, there is something sad about people who lead what appears to be a simple and peaceable life overtaken by nature that plays no favorites ... at the same time that elsewhere men with cuff links and flags jockey and raze on behalf of their favorite sons ... themselves.