Nature's prettiest predators: Western Mongolia's Kazakh people practice the ancient art of hunting with golden eagles
- The Golden Eagle Festival is held by the Kazakh people each October to celebrate the heritage of the ancient group
- Held in Bayan-Olgii, in western Mongolia, the festival includes a competitive hunt, with the men on horseback
- Pratice of hunting with golden eagles is said to have been started by the nomadic Khitans from Manchuria in 940AD
- Belgian photographer Stefan Cruysberghs travelled to Mongolia to witness the ancient occasion first-hand
Racing through the mountain range on horseback, the Kazakh people practice their ancient tradition of hunting with golden eagles.
The eagles soar through the air at speeds of up to 200mph as they race to reach their keeper first, during an annual festival celebrating the heritage of the Turkic group.
The Golden Eagle festival is held every October in Bayan-Olgii, a province in western Mongolia.
Photographer captures the Kazakh people practising their ancient tradition of hunting with golden eagles
Belgian photographer and software developer Stefan Cruysberghs captured these stunning photographs when he travelled to the region to witness the occasion first-hand.
The 38-year-old, of Lommel, Belgium, said: 'The world is evolving fast, but these Kazakh people still practice the ancient art of training and hunting with golden eagles, and they do it with a lot of passion.
'The competitions during the Golden Eagle Festival show the long-term and trusting relationship between the eagle and the hunter.
'During the first competition each golden eagle is released from the top of a mountain and the birds race to catch some meat which is held by an eagle hunter on his galloping horse.
'The eagle and hunter are communicating with each other via cries, and whichever hunters' eagle reaches the meat the fastest, wins the game.'
On horseback, the Kazakh people compete in the Golden Eagle Festival in Bayan-Olgii
The eagles reach speeds of up to 200mph as they race to reach their keeper first during the annual festival
Starting young: 13-year-old Ashol-Pan is just one of the many competitors at the Golden Eagle Festival
The Kazakhs of the Altai mountain range in western Mongolia are the only people that hunt with golden eagles, and today there are around 400 practising falconers.
The tradition of hunting with golden eagles is said to have been started by the nomadic Khitans from Manchuria in northern China around 940AD.
Other activities held during the Golden Eagle festival include horse racing, archery and Bushkashi, which is a goatskin tug of war on horseback
The festival also sees awards handed out for Best Turned Out Eagle And Owner, Best Eagle At Hunting Prey and Best Eagle At Locating Its Owner From A Distance.
Discussing the bond between eagles and their human counterparts, photographer Stefan says: 'Young female golden eagles are caught in the wild and aren't given any food for several days.
'They will then start to accept food from humans and when trust between hunter and bird is gained, the hunter will start training the eagle.
'They become a part of the family and a long-term relationship is created.
'The relationship between the eagle and hunter only lasts for six to eight years and they take part in the competitions together year after year.
'After that, the female eagle is released back into the wild so she can breed.'
Eagle hunter Berik sits with his eagle at the festival in Bayan Olgii, a province in western Mongolia
Belgian photographer and software designer, Stefan Cruysberghs, headed to Mongolia to see the festivities for himself
The Kazakhs of the Altai mountain range are the only people that hunt with golden eagles, and today there are around 400 practising falconers
Every October up to 70 eagle hunters and a host of tourists gather to celebrate Kazakh customs in the shadow of the Altai Mountains during the annual two day Golden Eagle Festival.
The hunters wear traditional costumes, complete with fur coats made of marmot, fox or wolf skins which have been caught by their eagles.
The more extravagant the coat the more respected the hunter is.
Stefan says: 'The Kazakh eagle hunting tradition was always male-dominated, but nowadays some fathers teach their young daughters the art and skills of the ancient eagle hunter tradition.
'This year there were two young girls at the Golden Eagle Festival, it is great to see that young people still embrace their cultural heritage.'
Other activities held during the festival include horse racing, archery and Bushkashi, which is a goatskin tug of war on horseback
The tradition of hunting with golden eagles is said to have been started by the nomadic Khitans from Manchuria in northern China in 940A
Here, the Kazakh people ride on horseback, accompanied by their trusty eagles
Speaking about the strong bond between bird and human, Cruysberghs said: 'A long-term relationship is created'
'The relationship between the eagle and hunter only lasts for six to eight years,' says Cruysberghs
After competing with their eagle for six to eight years, the female bird is then released back into the wild so that she can breed
The Kazakh people take a break and cool off during the Golden Eagle Festival
A hunter races with an eagle on his arm during the annual two-day festival that takes place each October
The hunters wear traditional costumes, complete with fur coats made of marmot, fox or wolf skins that have been caught by their eagles
The more extravagant the coat, the more respected the hunter is when it comes to the festival's traditional garb
Cruysberghs says: 'The Kazakh eagle hunting tradition was always male-dominated, but nowadays some fathers teach their young daughters'
Talent knows no age: Here, 13-year-old Ashol-Pan celebrates a win at the festival
All of the competitors pose together to commemorate the occasion - along with their beloved birds, of course
Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk
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