Domestic Animals in Pankisi: by Alikhan Tokhosashvili

In Pankisi people keep domestic animals like cows, goats, sheep, horses, donkeys, dogs, and cats. In the forest there are wolfs, bears, foxes, deer, and other animals. Most of people have sheep and cows. Cows give us milk and cheese. Sheep give us cheese and wool.

In Pankisi there is a forest near the villages. Inhabitants of Pankisi take their cattle in to the forest in the daytime to feed, as there is a lot of grass and leaves for them, and take it home in the evening. In the most cases the cattle don’t need a shepherd. They go and come themselves. Sometimes some of the cows don’t find their way home and in this case they are killed by wolfs or bears.

            A lot of sheep are kept in Pankisi too. The people keep sheep in the mountains. In summer a delicious Georgian sheep cheese is made in the mountains. It’s difficult to keep sheep in Pankisi in winter so they are taken to Shiraki, a place in Kakheti were there is a lot of grass in the wintertime. The people sell sheep cheese and wool and live with this. That’s the main business Pankisi people have.