Can you imagine having a falcon’s huge talons and a bone-crushing grip as a hunting aid? The land of the Tien Shan Mountains, Kyrgyzstan has an age-old relationship with these majestic and powerful predators. The Kyrgyz greatly revere the golden eagle. They are the falcon hunters with the golden eagle.

A hunting festival took place near the village of Bokonbayevo, some 186 miles east from the capital Bishkek, on August 24, 2007. More then 20 hunters with dogs and eagles take part in the national festival.

People practiced in the art of training birds of prey are called ‘Berkutchi’ and are treated with great respect in their country. In the villages the Berkutchi help control the foxes that predate on their flocks and herds.

To be the eagle hunter , one has to be be tough and patient. That’s why there are so few eagle-hunters. Traditionally, wild baby eagles were taken from the nest to be trained as hunting birds, but under new legislation this practice will be strictly limited.The process of training a Golden Eagle is long and complex.

A golden eagle holds a wolf by its mouth

Much effort must be devoted to the training of an able hunter. Berkutchi-falconers, being mostly people of middle or older age, always subtly and precisely noted the morphological and other characteristics that allowed them to recognize in the bird a quality hunter.

Young falconers start with the sparrow hawk, later came the goshawk, saker, peregrine and gyrfalcon. The last bird trained, considered the most significant and capable of taking the greatest range of game, was the golden eagle. It was also the most dangerous raptor to train. Despite the danger of hunting wolves, golden eagles were up to the task.

A golden eagle pounces on a chained wolf cub during a hunting festival near the village of Bokonbayevo

The secrets of taming a Golden Eagle were passed from generation to generation down dynasties. From father to son, or sometimes to grandson, were handed and explained in detail the secret characteristics by which a falconer was able to make the right choice when taking a bird for training.

This magnificent bird can never be a slave of its owner, but only a partner in hunting!

Image credits: Vladimir Pirogov/ REUTERS