The eagle hunting tradition has been adopted by Kazakh families, who form the largest minority community in Mongolia. The region is very rocky, with huge rock formations ideal for eagles to nest and lay eggs. The high rocks provide a safe haven from predators like wild cats, foxes, deer, and jackals. Many eagles nest in this wild, nomadic country.
The Kazakhs are of Turkish descent, with their community extending to Kazakhstan. The art of eagle hunting has been practiced in this region for thousands of years, and Genghis Khan, the ruler of Mongolia, greatly encouraged this traditional practice. I managed to visit one such family deep in the wild outbacks near the Mongolian-Turkish border, trying to learn about these eagle hunting Kazakh people. My guide, Ogi, took me to see one such family. They lived in a modest brick house, with a television, a few fans, and even a solar panel heater. Some even had mobile phones. I was welcomed by a young teenage girl who served me hot tea and biscuits. There was soup, toffee, and white milk tea. It was cold, and I needed something warm. I had three glasses and then noticed the wall in front of me. I saw the fluffy, woolly skin of a snow fox and an exotic high mountain rabbit. There were three skulls on the wall along with a traditional harp-like musical instrument.
The Eagles
I was tempted by the fox skin; it was unique and exotic. I thought it would be a hit if I could sell it through my website, so I decided to buy two fox skins from the Kazakh eagle hunter family. I asked my guide, Ogi, to ask the head of the family if I could buy the exotic fox and rabbit skins. After some haggling, I bought two fox skins. Ogi had his reservations. “You might need documents to take these on a flight. Isn’t it banned in your country? I mean, this is animal skin, fox skin; it might not be legal to carry it,” Ogi advised honestly. Ignoring his advice, I bought the skins and shoved them in my suitcase.
I took some photographs of the area, and just next to the house, I could see scores of eagles flying in the sky. I managed to capture pictures of them; they looked majestic against the open blue sky.
One of the family members started to play a musical instrument that looked like a banjo, and the teenage girl brought me an animal skin hat, which I wore for fun. The family was hospitable, and I paid them for my purchases. They were simple, humble people with very few wants, living a nomadic life, herding sheep, raising chickens, and looking after cows and yaks. These people have been living like this for generations.
Mongolia has a cold and rocky terrain, and I was very close to the rugged mountain area of the country’s outback. This was the Tavanbodh National Park, where I stayed in a Ger for over four days. I lived on meager rations of bread, cheese, and boiled potatoes. I slept on a wooden cot bed inside two warm sleeping bags. Luckily, I had brought my thick warm brown jacket, which kept me warm. Here, temperatures would drop as low as minus three degrees Celsius. Ogi had to constantly burn cow dung to make a fire that kept us warm all night inside our tent. This was truly roughing it in the outback, right in the heart of nature. I would relieve myself outdoors and bathe in the freezing waterfalls of the park. Ogi and I ventured deep into the mountains on horseback, searching for rock paintings. I did a lot of horseback riding here.
On my way back to the city of Ulaanbaatar, I even spotted huge whirlwinds and tornadoes dancing past my car. I managed to capture them through my lens—dust flying high in the air like a dance of nature. These huge whirlwinds, like small storms, whizzed past me. There were three or four of them dancing in the fields on either side of the road.
