The eagle has landed?

The eagle has landed?

Eagles, like the one depicted here, are revered in many cultures for their hunting prowess. Yet the Mongolian tradition of eagle hunting, popular since Genghis Khan, is in a death spiral. 

For centuries, nomadic burkitshi—eagle hunters in Kazakh—on horseback have braved subzero temperatures in search of eaglets to train as hunting partners. Today, only 50 to 60 “true” hunters remain, and urbanites from Ulan Bator are more likely to fly drones than raptors. To document this endangered sport, Australian-born, Hong Kong-based photographer Palani Mohan traveled to the steppe over five winters. His book, Hunting With Eagles: In the Realm of the Mongolian Kazakhs,compiles Mohan’s photographs of the burkitshi and their raptors, whom they regard as family. *                          —Diane Richard, writer, March 30 *Image: Palani Mohan

Source: Carey Dunne, “The Vanishing Practice of Hunting with Golden Eagles in Mongolia,” Hyperallergic, March 21, 2016