Kazakhs have a long history of using birds of prey to hunt foxes, wolves, and other animals and that tradition continues to this day. A tournament of eagle hunters, known as "berkutchi," took place on December 5 in the Almaty region. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, competitive hunters from other countries, such as Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia, were not able to participate.
Berkutchi: The Competitive Eagle Hunters Of Kazakhstan
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"Berkutchi" from 10 regions of Kazakhstan took part in the tournament. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, restrictions were placed on the competitors. They were only allowed to bring two golden eagles, one falcon, and one eagle from each region. In this photo, a hunter with a golden eagle is preparing for the competition to start.
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Berkutchi competitions are held in several stages. The birds are tested for their level of training and also their hunting skills. The bird should easily find its owner 200 meters away and land on his hand. They should also be able to catch pigeons, foxes, and rabbits. In this photo, a saker falcon is catching a rabbit.
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If the hunting bird does not find the prey on its own, the tournament participants have to catch it and return it to a cage, like the rabbit in this photo. If the bird does manage to catch the animal, the owner usually tries to keep it alive.
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One of the tasks for the saker falcon is to catch a pigeon in flight.
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A falcon strikes a pigeon in midair.
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Hunting foxes is another stage of the competition. Berkutchi line up on a hill and a fox is released a few hundred meters away. The bird must catch the fox, and the hunters must manage to save the animal. In the photo, a golden eagle is chasing a fox.
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The rescued fox is returned to its cage.
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A saker falcon chases a dead pigeon on a rope.
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A berkutchi with his golden eagle.
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During the competition, a heavy fog settled on the mountains, but this did not stop the hunting birds from finding their prey.
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