Heatwave turns already arid Kazakh steppe into mass grave for horses

AKSHYMYRAU, Kazakhstan: Dead horses lie scattered across the arid steppe of Kazakhstan's Mangistau peninsula where severe drought has left the animals without food or water, threatening the livelihoods of hundreds of farmers.

Unusually high temperatures, in some cases the highest on record, have been reported throughout the former Soviet region of Central Asia this summer, prompting Kazakhstan to ban exports of animal feed and seek extra water from its neighbours. In Mangistau, this has meant that horses have nothing to graze on and prices of hay and barley have skyrocketed. Some farmers tear wet cardboard into pieces to mix with feed for extra volume.