Ulaanbaatar
/MONTSAME/ Snow Leopard Trust has posthumously awarded T.Lkhagvasumberel
(Sumbee), a biologist who worked as a conservation ranger for international
snow leopard trust and was found dead last November 11. Name of the award,
which goes to the best researchers in the field of protecting snow leopards, is
Helen Freeman Award.
At the ceremony, the executive director of Snow
Leopard Foundation, Brad Rutherford stated that "It's going to be
very hard to replace someone like Sumbee, he is irreplaceable. Sumbee was not
only a Mongolian biologist/researcher, he was the world star, and we just lost
our star, it is a immeasurable loss for us and the world snow leopard
foundation researchers." Also Ph.D. Ecology and Resource
Conservation, Charudutt Mishra, shared great memoir of how late
Sumbee and him met through SLCF and how he and Sumbee worked together Sumbee's
M.D degree dissertation, and how he and his fellow researchers around the
globe longing for great biologist/researcher like Sumbee.
A ceremony ran
January 12 for handing the award to his family. Before the official ceremony
start, the family and friends paid tribute to late Sumbee by lighting offering
lamps.
Snow Leopard Trust is giving this
award in recognition for his outstanding research works in the Gobi about snow
leopards and their prey. The trust researchers said they have been developing
plans to immortalize Sumbee’s good deeds (Montsame, B.Amarsaikhan)
His father
received Sumbee's award and delivered an emotional speech, and stated that
there are three important goals that he would like to work forward as for his late
son's legacy:
1. I will uncover the murderers who
murdered my son, I will not stop until I found the truth behind my son's death
till my last breath.
2. I will continue my son's legacy as
to protect wildlife and the Mother Nature, as much as I can with as effective
as and as broader as I can with help of all people, because we have a one goal.
He will not be forgotten, because he will live with this passion and legacy.
3. I will work on the Tost Mountain
and its people's goal and passion to let it register for a National Reserved
Area.
We tried to illustrate what's in the voice recording without any add ons or incorrect translation. Sumbee's father found 2 voice records on Sumbee's phone which had recorded on a day that he murdered.
All sources credited to Uncensored Talk TV show.
Today I held as a hostage. They threatened my younger siblings, said that they will harm them. I recognized them, they are the same people who had held me as a hostage
before. I do not know what's the reason, I have no idea what's really happening. If the
policemen did their job better, it wouldn't have happened. I would not be in this situation. Policemen not
doing their job, just wasting time, looking for small bicker instead of focusing
on the bigger problem. Seems like these fuckers, have set their mind, wanting
to kill me. I think I'll be killed…
There had been 3 major PHYSICAL ATTACK happened prior to
his death.
FIRST ATTACK: STABBING
In May, 2014, around Zaluuchuud hotel, after the sun down, he was attached by 4 anonymous
perpetrators, got stabbed around his neck and arm. Due to losing so much flood, he left unconscious and those 4 perpetrators fled from the crime scene probably
thinking he is died already. Around 4-5 am in the morning, he came back to
sense and barely made it home and his younger sibling took him to the hospital.
At the hospital he underwent to a surgery to close those open wound he got from stabbing and his father learnt what happened to his son Sumbee, from his second son and sent his mother from Hatgal, Huvsgul, to be with him while he
recovers. As of the 1st attack, Sumbee and his family had no idea who or why it
happened to him, they just thought it as some gang members around the
neighborhood were playing too hard which is typical in some big city neighborhood,
so they just ignored it as just a very unfortunate accident, but the
family made sure that the hospital kept clear report on what happened. Sumbee stayed quiet, didn’t report to a police about the attack, because he was
awarded a grant from CREO and preparing to travel to the United States
for his work project (SLCT) and was busy with completing all those documents for visa process. After the attack, he delayed his travel time till
July, 2014 which originally planned as of in May.
Also once he told his co-worker about the
attack that he doesn’t really remember anything because it happened in such a
short period of time, and just remembering that anonymous 4 men came
forward to him around the corner of the building, grabbed him from his arms,
made him immobile and stabbed around his neck and arm area, therefore he lost
lot of blood and left unconscious.
All above written are taken from this short video which we tried to illustrate what Sumbee's father and his co-worker talking about HIS FIRST ATTACK on Uncensored Talk show, C1 TV, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
All sources credited to Uncensored Talk TV show.
SECOND ATTACK: ABDUCTION
In 2015,Sumbee came
to the city from his worksite at Gurwan Tes sum for work assignment; after his
work is done for the day, he was heading to 5th school area, around 5-6pm in
the early evening, (very busy traffic time), suddenly 2 black cars stopped
in front of him and 2 men came towards, grabbed him in a second and forced him into
a black car and drove somewhere rural area seems like some kind of construction
site. They blocked his visual, he was not able to see anything, and they took
wallet and cell phones andabducted
him.
Once the car stopped, abductors
started to terrorize and threaten him. Anonymous 2 men terrorized him saying "You think you are the shit in South
Gobi, you think you are the big man in the Tost Mountain, but you are nothing,
you are nobody, we control everything, we have all the authorities, so you
better shut the fuck up." Since he was not resisting so much, they
stopped threating him. After a few hours of threating him, they put him in the
car again and head back to the city, dropped him in some place, later he told
his father that it might be around Urt-Tsagaan Street, they told him that “Run,
and never look back.”
He was so scared and terrified, run as fast as he can to as
far as he can go. After the abduction he called his mother and told her that he
is coming home, but his mom knew that something was wrong because of his tone
of voice, asked him what happened, but he started crying and just said he
wanted to come home as soon as possible. Because of the previous stabbing attack
his parents were very much shocked and modified that something happened to
their son and wanted him to stop all his work and come home for good.
He stayed home all day, trying to avoid from people
interactions, feeling very terrified, still in so much shock from what
happened, wanting to go back home for his parents as soon as possible, and as
soon as sun went down a little bit around 6 pm, he called a taxi to take him to
the bus stops where all buses go to Murun, Huwsgul province where is his home
is. Thankfully, he got the first ride home, and came at Murun at 7 am in the
morning. From Ulaanbaatar to Murun, Huwsgul province, it is almost 950km, (590.3
miles), and it takes 12-14 hours by car. Once he came to Murun, he called his
mother and his mother told him to stay at her sister-in-law’s house therefore
they can pick him up from there. He told his parents everything about his
abduction and had a hard time being calm. Later his mother told in the
interview that after the abduction her son was in so much shock, had a really
hard time staying calm, he was very much terrified which lead him to have
nightmares.
All above written are taken from this short video which we tried to illustrate what Sumbee's father and his co-worker talking about HIS SECOND ATTACK on Uncensored Talk show, C1 TV, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
All sources credited to Uncensored Talk TV show.
He sent an email to his
Snow leopard foundation director Bayarjargal.A regarding his abduction. The content
of the email is illustrated below with picture of his email.
From: Mr.Sumbee
Date: Thursday,
January 08, 2015 3:08 PM
To: Bayarjargal
Agvaantseren
Subject: Sumbee
How do you do director
Bayarjargal?
How is everything? What’s
new at work?
I would like to tell you a
something really important and a request for some day-offs. I hope you
understand my situation. I think it even concerns my live in danger.
On Monday evening, I was
abducted by 2 anonymous men with black cars, and they took me somewhere I don’t
know, somewhere far from the city. After that they kept me for an hour or two in
some place with lot of noises. During that time, those 2 abductors started to
threaten me, saying something like “You think you are the shit, but you are nobody,
because we are THE PEOPLE in the city, we are people who controls everything,
you can’t do anything. We will show you who we are and so on.” I was so scared
and terrified that I did not know what was happening and did not resist them
much. Since I was not resisting them, they stopped and I heard that one person
was on the phone with someone else, and little later they put me in the car
again and went back to the city, and they told me that “Run, and never look
back.” I was in so much shock that I wanted to run away from them as far as I can.
Now I think back, I think they dropped me around Urt-Tsagaan Street. Well briefly,
this is what happened, and on Tuesday evening I went straight back to Murun,
Huwsgul province to my family. Therefore, I would like to stay with my parents
for a while, just in case. But, please don’t tell anybody that I went back home
Huwsgul. I think it’s better to kept quiet my where about, except Puujee sister.
I think those abductors found out that I’m in the city from my Facebook. And I have
some suspicion that those abductors are people from some mining company.
Thus, I would like to
stay with my family and would you mind giving me excuse for some day-offs
please?
Sincerely,
Lkhagvasumberel.L (Sumbe)
After Sumbee's email regarding his abduction, Director of SLCF, sent an official letter to the Police Department of Sukhbaatar District. Unfortunately, police department revoked her request to further investigate Sumbee's abduction case stating "Police department will not further pursue this case, because of lack of support and evidence." In this video, it show the official released statement from Police Department of Sukhbaatar District.
3RD ATTACK: AT THE MOUNTAIN, STABBED BY MASKED 2 MEN
April
30th,
it was the day he was scheduled to come to the city for his work report. But he
remembered that he left his journal notes back in the mountain at his
observation location and he told his driver, wanted to go back and bring it
with him and instructed his driver that call his supervisor let her know that
he is coming and asking to prepare a ride to the city for him. He went back to his work site riding his
motorcycle.
While he was coming down
from the mountain cliff road which he created, locally named Huren Dawaa, At
the egde of Tost Mountain, where is so hard to drive with motorcycle, he got attacked by 2 masked
men. It seemed like they were waiting for him to come down from the mountain
through that cliff, where they hit him so hard from his sides. He immediately
thought that he must not slow down otherwise he will be in dangerous situation,
so he tried his best to stay on his motorcycle as much as he can and was able
to run away from those masked men. Since he was in such a panic mode, he didn't
feel anything, but little later he felt very uncomfortable and checked himself
and found out that he had been stabbed by his abdominal area twice. He finally
made it to home his co-workers where waiting for him. Luckily at that time,
they found out that emergency helicopter was available therefore they were able
to take him to the city as soon as possible.
He had so much internal
bleeding which caused him to delay his surgery for a day after he arrived at
the hospital. His mother rushed to his side to the hospital. The doctors stated
that he had stabbed by right and left side of his abdominal area 4.5cm (1.77
inch) and 3.5cm (1.37 inches) deep cut. At that time him and his family were
sure that all those attack had been connected somehow and their suspicion
further verified, and his family wanted him to be come back home for some time.
Moreover, he had surgeries and need some recovery time, they thought it's best
for him to come home.
All above written are taken from this short video which we tried to illustrate what Sumbee's father and his co-worker talking about HIS THIRD ATTACK on Uncensored Talk show, C1 TV, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
All sources credited to Uncensored Talk TV show.
4TH ATTACK, A TRAGIC DEATH OF SUMBEE
Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ T.Lkhagvasumberel, 27, a biologist of
the Snow Leopard Trust and a preservationist, was found dead on November 9 from
Khovsgol Lake. He had been reported missing after he had disappeared from
outside his home in Ulaanbaatar on November 5.
His family and friends have been informing that late
Lkhagvasumberel had been attacked several times by a group of strangers. His
murder is being investigated at the moment. T.Lkhagvasumberel started working
with the Snow Leopard Trust team since 2010 and had become a treasured member
of the expeditions on snow leopards in Omnogovi aimag. "He climbed the
mountains like an ibex. He ran on steep slopes where most of us would barely
manage to crawl. He cared for snow leopards and ibexes as if they were his own.
He helped his colleagues and communities selflessly. He was a young promising
researcher who hailed from the water-rich Khuvsgul province, but had taken to
the arid Gobi desert as his second home. He was our treasured Mountain Climbing
Machine. We had never imagined we would need to use past tense while describing
Lkhagvasumberel Tumursukh, fondly known as Sumbe," The Snow Leopard Trust
wrote.
Sumbee had always been fighting to stop the gold mining
operations in Tosonbumba Mountains in Omnogovi (South Gobi) aimag and to
protect the leopards that inhabite the are
In 2009, he joined to camera trapping team as a student
intern in the South Gobi to assist with the long-term ecological study on snow
leopards (LTES).
Sumbe was hired full time in 2012 and became the primary
Research Associate for Snow Leopard Trust’s Long-term Ecological Study (LTES)
in Mongolia, and also conducted research throughout Mongolia for Snow Leopard
Conservation Foundation (SLCF), the partner organization to Snow Leopard Trust. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Lkhagvasumberel_Tumursukh/publications
2010-2015 Snow Leopard Conservation Foundation's manager and biologist
Snow leopard's main diet. He is the first ever biologist in
Mongolia
who had conducted a major
research on snow leopard's
main diet ibex using the method of
double-observer counts.
Herdsmen' insurance for endangered-livestock that had been attached by
snow leopard.
He organized the program to resolve conflicts between wildlife and locals,
to give better understanding and information to locals on snow leopard and their behavior.
Before we start, we would like to give you some information on Tost Mountain. Tost mountain is located in Gurvantes soum, Umnugobi, Mongolia. Gurvantes is one of the biggest territorial and unique locational districts of Mongolia that is 2.8 million square and the population is 10 thousand.
According to the experts, Tost Mountain is the main habitat of the mountain leopards. Furthermore, the place around of Tost Mountain is the important source that maintains the eco-system and habitant of the Central Asian desert region. It means if Tost Mountain`s eco-system is changes, the Central Asian desert region is going to in unbalanced might even destroyed forever. That's why an International organization, The Nature Conservancy evaluated the Mongolian south desert region and announced the Tost and Toson Bumba Mountains should be protected because of the ecological importance of the region.
As of a snow leopard, it is an
endangered animal. According to scientist, there are only 3500 in worldwide,
about 900 left in Mongolia. The Tost Mountains is not that big area, but its
habitat of 22-25 snow leopards which means Tost Mountains has the highest density
of snow leopard in the world. Their main diet is an ibex and over 1000
population identified during research survey, therefore the Tost Mountain has
registered as Local Protected area in 2010.
Right now,
there are 4 active coalmining companies are operating around the Tost Mountain.
In addition to that, 4 other coalmining companies are going to start developing
their project soon. Besides these 8 coalmines, there are 26 exploration and 18
mining licenses total 44 licenses were issued. Since 2010, the local people of
Gurvantes in South-Gobi have been protesting against issuing the mining
licenses at Tost and Toson Bubma Mountain regions and appealed to the
government a petition to register the Tost Mountain as a National Preserved
Park. ( zaluu.com, )
Sources by: Playing with snow leopard, Documentary Film
But in the most density populated area of Tost Mountain, there are 22 mining licenses were given, even though it has been registered as Local Protected area.
The 22 snow leopard and the 22 mining licenses!!!!!!
Sumbee fought to save those 22 leopards as well as locals in Tost mountain, Umnu-Gobi. Therefore, local people started petition to government to register the Tost Mountain as the National Reserved Park. Unfortunately, there is NO ANSWER TILL THIS DAY.
To waste, to destroy our natural resources, to skin and exhaust the land instead of using it so as to increase its usefulness, will result in undermining in the days of our children the very prosperity which we ought by right to hand down to them amplified and developed.
Sumbee fought to protect those wildlife and a precious Mother nature.
Tumursukh.J's oldest son Sumbee was born on April 6th, 1988, in Ikh-Tamir sum, Arkhangai province. In 2006, he attended the National University of Mongolia and graduated in 2010 as a biologist/zoologist. Sumbee started working with the Snow Leopard Trust team since 2010 and had become a treasured member of the expeditions on Snow Leopards in South Gobi province. He was a young promising researcher who hailed from the water-rich Khuvsgul province but had taken to the arid Gobi desert as his second home. Coming from a family with deep connections with nature, he was a natural with all the new tasks he undertook.
Sumbee and locals (South Gobi locals) had
protested against all mining companies around the Tost Mountain to stop their
operations, otherwise, that wildlife is in danger to go extinct if you demolish their homeland. it's their homeland, their only homeland where that wildlife can live and survive. For that reason it was
Sumbee's main goal to protect that wildlife and it's habitat areas from any harm. Sumbee was not from a wealthy family with behind the scene power, not a high official who has some authority powers, nor a man who is easily shaken by a worthless threat. He was a man who loved the Mother Nature dearly, raised by a family with great appreciation to nature, wanted to protect and inherit this great land to his next generation and generations after that. He was planning to study at Cambridge University, England in 2016.
All sources credited to Uncensored Talk TV show
Shinehvv, Director of Gurvantes Non-profit Organization
Sumbee
genuinely loved this land, loved its wildlife and rivers, mountains and
everything. He cared about it so much, more than us locals who live in the
area. Once we had no snow in the winter, the ibex and other wildlife had a hard
time finding water. He knew that that wildlife is having a hard time, he and
his team members requested some help from an official of the micro-state that if
they are able to send some written requests to those mining companies around the
neighborhood to help them to bring some ice for that wildlife. The mining companies agreed to help and helped them to
bring some ice closer to the snow leopard and other wildlife habitat areas. Since it
is such a rocky mountain, big mining trucks were not able to go all the way up
to the mountain, Sumbee and his team carried each approximately weighed 20lb
ices up to the mountain for wildlife, therefore, they can survive in the winter.
He
always told me that he will do everything in his power to protect this land and
its wildlife. Not that many people can do what Sumbee did, and on top of that
he is not from here but what Sumbee had done for this place came from a pure genuine
love for this land’s Mother Nature and a deep passion to protect this land and
wildlife. If you are not going to call him a true fighter, I don’t know who
else I can call a fighter. As he told me that he will do everything for this land, he did it, he did it for sure.
Lkhagvasuren - local herdsman
I
don’t think anybody from my hometown will do any harm for him, because we all
adore him dearly, we think like him as our son. I just think that he lost his
precious life because of some facts that he revealed and fought with those
mining companies. Not only I, my fellow herdsmen and locals think the same. He lost
his precious life protecting our land, our future, and our wildlife. Our land
had been destroyed so much because of all those mining companies, they had
overturned our land so much that they wanted to take all those subsoils, and we
have been fighting for these issues for a while.
Sumbee's father Tumursukh Jal
I’m
so proud of my son for what he had done and acknowledged by all those people. This
short video is a proof that my son is so brave, passionate, selfless, and
hardworking, just take a look at this video that my son is carrying this huge
bucket of water on his back, on top of that he is using his 2 hands to carry
extra bulk of ice, it shows what my son’s true self is.
Mijid.A –SLCF, on
site driver. (Snow Leopard Conservation Foundation)
Sumbee is so lovable, when it’s raining
or snowing, he gets so excited and thinks like it brings him luck. And even though it’s so cold and snowing, he will go outside roll on the snow with no
shirt and play with it, just get so excited. He loved being outdoors.
Oyungerel - Chef
of SLCF at Gurvantes, South-Gobi.
He doesn’t like when it gets too hot, Mijid (driver) would light
up a fire a little bit to make a home warmer, Sumbee would open the door and get
some fresh air. Since they worked so close for a long time, even though they
have a big age gap, they would be as good friends, play around with
themselves.
Narantsetseg.S
mother of Sumbee
When he is here home at Hatgal,
Huwsgul for a short time in summer, he would always talk about South-Gobi. When it’s
raining here, he will get excited that it’s raining in Gobi as well and tell us
that his ibex and leopards in South Gobi will have some rain waters, and would
tell us that it gets so pretty in Gobi in the summertime, with all pretty flowers
are blooming and rain water streams down from the mountain and it has just such
a beautiful land. He would tell all so many that times that we can imagine what
he is saying in our eyes without being there.
Purevjav.L-Expert
research manager at SLCF
I’ve been working with Sumbee for 5-6
years. During this time, he has become the most valuable member of our SLCF
team. His character is, very hardworking, very sociable, very reliable, very
sincere, very punctual when it comes to completing a given task, everybody at
work and locals adore him, he and locals have mutual respect to each other,
never had a problem dealing with all local people and listens to their problems
patiently, always seeks to find better ways to connect and improve local and
SLCF’s cooperation on projects.
Byambejav.Ts
-The driver of Snow Leopard Trust
He is a very polite young lad and
nice to everybody, always listens to elders well and takes our advice seriously. He
is very punctual, keeps his word, if he says he’ll do it, he will get it done no
matter what, since he gave his word.
Baatar.S –Herdsman
of Tost sum
He is very responsible and
reliable, really good at what he does, and great manners.
Chimgee.
L-Herdsman of Tost sum
He
is the one of a kind young lad. I don’t know anybody like Sumbee, he is so
selfless, he will help us to find lost livestock, even though it has nothing to
do with him, he just does everything from his heart.
