<
https://www.itv.com/news/2024-10-29/how-a-festival-in-mongolia-is-keeping-eagle-hunting-traditions-alive>
"Held on the majestic steppes of western Mongolia, the Yellow Lake Eagle
Festival was like nothing I had experienced before.
We were quickly transported into a different world, as registration began for
the 25th anniversary year of an event which is a fixture in the diary of
nomadic communities from across the Bayan-Olgii region.
The festival is held in the foothills of the imposing Altai mountains, in a
part of Mongolia which is home to Mongolian Kazakhs - an ethnic group
determined to preserve Kazakh culture and traditions.
For centuries Kazakhs have used eagles to hunt for animals like foxes and
rabbits, which can provide furs and food for their families.
They came up with the idea of working with eagles to help them deal with the
challenges posed by the vast terrain they must cover, and the testing winter
climate.
With their incredible eyesight, speed and deadly talons, the golden eagle makes
a formidable hunting partner.
Traditionally, baby eagles are taken from their nests, and within weeks can be
trained to hunt with humans.
The training involves teaching the eagle to respond to specific commands, spot
prey from a distance and return to the hunter with that prey. After five or six
years the eagles are released back into the wild, so that they can continue
breeding.
It has been predominantly female eagles used for hunting, as they are larger
and stronger than the males, but conservationists have encouraged hunters to
use more males to protect the golden eagle population."
Via Susan ****
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
