Front and Back Covers, Volume 39, Number 1. February 2023

Abstract

Front and back cover caption, volume 39 issue 1MUTUALISM IN MONGOLIAThe front cover of this special issue on mutualism depicts Amarjargal, a young herding woman in Mongolia, holding a newborn kid who is having trouble finding its mother within the herd. Spring in Mongolia is a busy time for herding families, as they assist with the birth and nursing of newborn herd animals under rapid fluctuations in temperature of + or − 20°C within a single day. Before the sheep and goat herd head out to graze on pasture, Amarjargal, who knows each animal individually, searches for the distinct characteristics of the missing nanny goat to match the mother with her young.Before the herd is moved out to nearby pastures, the lambs and kids feed from their mothers. This activity enables the herders to scan the herd to assess whether adults or young are showing any signs of illness. Those struggling and unable to keep up with the moving herd remain behind in the encampment. Weak adults are given extra nutritional feed, while weak newborns are taken inside the circular yurt (ger) to huddle together near the warmth of the central fire. If any have diarrhoea or intestinal worms, they are treated with medicinal plants from the surrounding mountainsides or with biomedicine purchased from the local veterinary clinic.This photograph captures the mutualistic relationship between herding families and their animals in Mongolia. Herding families put a lot of time and energy into nurturing their animals, especially during spring, which is then reciprocated by the nurturing of the family through dairy products and in the form of meat, allowing for the survival of both. The accompanying article highlights how human‐animal mutualism also involves interconnections with a diversity of plants such as the pasque flower (yargui) in the surrounding ecology.DOG MUTUALISMIn this photograph, we see a Bankhar puppy – a breed of dog unique to southern Siberia and Mongolia known for its thick, shaggy, dark coat and distinctive yellow eye patches – cautiously approaching Natasha Fijn, who has brought unfamiliar smells and objects to the herding encampment.Although Bankhar dogs are not typically used for herding, they are vital to mobile herding encampments. They are respected for their role in guarding against unwanted visitors, rustlers and predators and for their loyalty and dedication to protecting the herd and ensuring the safety of the human herders. Their eye patches are thought to serve as a deterrent to ward off predators like wolves and evil spirits.This moment illustrates the intimate and reciprocal nature of multispecies relations within the domestic sphere or domus. Adult herders do not treat their animals as coddled pets, but the close contact between them within the encampment is evident, whether it be while riding a horse, hand‐milking a cow or coaxing a newborn lamb to feed from its mother.Animals like this Bankhar puppy serve as prime examples of social forms of mutualism. This reciprocal relationship, as seen in Mongolia, has existed for thousands of years, with humans providing daily food scraps and care, and dogs providing protection and loyalty in return.This photograph, therefore, captures a glimpse of the theme of this special issue: the enduring bond between humans and animals. It highlights how mutualism can involve the animal existing as a valuable member of the community rather than as a dominated and contained object.