Kyrgyz Eagle Hunter with Golden Eagle
Kyrgyzstan 2012: Bokonbaevo village: An eagle hunter holds his Golden Eagle aloft to demonstrate her wingspan.
The eagle is female and young. Now I can’t remember her age, but I think around 10 years old. Eagles don’t live as long in captivity as they do in the wild (which is about 40 years). Eagle hunting is a long-standing tradition in Kyrgyzstan and in times past provided meat and pelts which could be sold for cash. (Sadly the pelts bring so little money now that they aren’t worth tanning.) The eagles can bring down a wolf or a fox, a skill necessary to cull these predators who can destroy sheep, cattle or horses belonging to Kyrgyz herders. We didn’t see this eagle hunt, but she is a champion hunter even at her young age.