It is a tradition that the hunters of Kazakhstan have kept alive for the last 4,000 years.
Groups of hunters, or berkutchi, train eagles and use them to hunt foxes and rabbits in the Kazakh countryside. Pictured, an eagle swoops down and catches a corsac fox
The enormous birds of prey stand out in the grey sky as they look for their targets.
The Kazakh eagle is one of the world’s fiercest, with a wingspan of 6.6 ft, razor-sharp talons and the ability to dive at the speed of an express train, up to 190 mph.
There are only about 50 professional eagle hunters, called berkutchi in Kazakh, in the whole country
The Corsac fox is native to Central Asia and their silver fur blends in with the icy landscape
There are only about 50 professional eagle hunters, called berkutchi in Kazakh, in the whole country.
Since the oil boom in the early nineties, young Kazakhs have looked to eagle hunting as a way to connect with their country’s traditions
The Kazakh eagle is one of the world’s fiercest, with a wingspan of 6.6 ft, razor-sharp talons and the ability to dive at the speed of an express train, up to 190 mph
The hunters usually gather on the border with China to compete over whose eagle is the best.