Eagle falconry, an ancient practice among Central Asian nomads, is emerging as an art that aspires to capture the attention of tourists from around the world in the vast steppes of Kazakhstan. Yeltái Muptekeyev is one of the 200 Kazakh falconers known as “burkutchi”. He specializes in eagles from the Central Asian steppe, “bérkut” and, in statements to EFE, he explained that he is instructing his 18-year-old son, Yersultan, in this ancient art.
In 2010 it was declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, and the International Federation of Falconers has recently been created, which integrates experts from Kazakhstan, Turkey, Russia, Mongolia and Kyrgyzstan. “I learned the secrets of eagle training from my father, he from his grandfather and this one from his, and so on for seven generations. In my house, as far as I remember, there was always an eagle,” says Muptekeyev, revealing the historical depth of this practice.
The training of these birds of prey, nicknamed “the bird of God” by Kazakh hunters, begins when they are very small. The falconer chooses those eagles that fall from the nests during strong gusts of wind, raising them at home and feeding them fresh meat daily. The training process, based on patience and the connection between the falconer and the eagle, takes at least nine months. “It is a long process that requires patience and restraint,” explains Muptekeyev.
Full communion between the falconer and the eagle is crucial before starting training; First the bird must get used to the falconer’s arm and learn to hunt together with dogs and horses. In this way the bird will learn to remain calm in any circumstance, while at the same time they learn to hunt as a team. “To turn birds into domesticated hunters, to get used to hearing their name and receiving orders, it takes at least nine months to a year,” he highlighted.
The Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Kazakhstan sees great tourism potential in this art, and they believe that it should be one of the country’s main attractions. Thus, they have elevated it to the status of a national sport with state funding. In addition, local and international tournaments will be held three times a year, coinciding with the first snows in the northern steppe or southern mountain slopes.
To these tournaments we must add that Kazakhstan is preparing to host the World Nomad Games, which will take place from September 8 to 14, and will include a falconry tournament between participants from different countries.
