Herders

Once a year master shepherd Knut Kucznik takes two hundred blackheaded sheep right through the middle of the German capital of Berlin Its a demonstration that draws a lot of attention At stake for him and his colleagues is nothing less than the preservation of herdsmanship

The Kyrgyz herders drive their herds high up into the mountains to the summer pastures at nearly 2500 meters The animals will gather strength here until September It is the time of the great herd migration

On the horn of Africa in northeastern Uganda herder Modo Engoria guards his cattle He is a member of the Karamojong pastoralist society Modos cattle are tough but contagious disease has jeopardized the future of his animals And the Ugandan governments efforts to help are creating challenges of their own

For generations the Rajasthan dry land in northwest India has been home to the Raika a pastoral community 45yearold Madhurams camel herd has scattered throughout the dry forest With their animals the Raika make optimal use of the dry areas in the semidesert of Rajasthan Through centuries of experience they know exactly how resilient nature is

In the high Andes of southern Peru at nearly 5000 meters 300 alpacas 20 llamas and more than a dozen sheep belong to Melchor Alcasihuincha and his wife Guadalupe They have lived on their estancia a small farm with pastureland for decades Shearing the animals and selling their wool is how Melchor feeds his family but the rapidly changing climate threatens his way of life