Damaged roads, bridges and closed mountain passes have made seasonal routes longer and more dangerous.
Millions of sheep in Dagestan move between seasonal pastures twice a year. In spring, herders take the flocks to the mountains. In autumn, they return to the plains. The transhumance system is used to feed the region’s large herds, NTV reported.
Heavy rain, mudslides and rockfalls have damaged roads and bridges along familiar routes this year. Some mountain passes remain closed, forcing herders to take longer and more dangerous journeys. In a few months, the migration will happen in reverse as flocks are moved from the plains back to summer pastures in the mountains.