Viktor says that a brother of his maternal grandfather bred camels. When Kalmyks were deported in 1943, all Kalmyk sheep were sent to Kazakhstan where they were inter-bred with the local species. Kalmyk sheep are cold resistant and give birth on the snow. A mature ram may weigh up to 100 kilograms. Yustinskiy rayon of Kalmykia is known for its Kalmyk breed of horses. Kalmyks also have a native dog species called bankhar which is not afraid of wolves.