Dead cow I was amazed at the amount of animal bones scattered on the ground and only latter found out that last year’s Zud ( the Mongolian term for a multiple natural disaster caused by the parching of pastures in the summer followed by bitter cold and thick snow that blankets the land in winter) killed many animals. Read more here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/feb/25/united-nations-mongolia-dead-livestock-clearance