Mongolia's 4000-year-old traditional custom of falcon domestication faces loss

According to the Washington Post, there is a group of people in Mongolia who rely only on falcon hunting for a living. They live in the Altai Mountains, where fire food is rare and the land is barren. The traditional habit of falcon training has been passed down from generation to generation on the Mongolian grassland. The tradition of domesticating falcons has a history of at least 4000 years. Now, this strange tradition is facing a sad field of loss. Today, there are only about 70 eagle trainers left in the world. Because the Altai Mountains are far away from the outside world all year round, this tradition has been spread in Mongolia to this day.

Falcons cannot be completely obeyed. Falcon trainers must cultivate deep feelings with falcons and teach them how to capture prey more accurately in the process. Eagle trainers must start cultivating and cultivating the eagles from when they are still very young. It takes 3 to 4 years to raise a falcon, and the entire domestication process can only be completed by one person. Only in this way can the trust between bird and human be enriched.

The life expectancy of falcons is usually 40 years. To the nomadic people on the grassland, falcons are like relatives. After each successful hunt, the city takes out the most valuable part of the prey-the lungs-to reward the "founding fathers" of the hunt. Beautiful handmade jewelry will also be worn on the falcon's legs. "The eagle can't catch its prey, and it's almost over for the rest of his life." This is the resume summarized by falcon trainers from generation to generation.

The tradition of eagle training has been passed down from generation to generation on the Mongolian grassland. Falcons cannot be completely obeyed. Falcon trainers must cultivate deep feelings with falcons and teach them how to capture prey more accurately in the process. When it is necessary to go hunting in distant places, in addition to falcons, falconers will also bring horses or camels.

Riding horses is a skill that all falconers must master. Falcon trainers must hunt on horseback because only horses can take them to places where prey is frequented. Falcons can kill young wolf pups as much as possible, but their primary prey is still foxes and some small animals.

If someone catches a fox, the entire tribal city celebrates all the way. Fox skins are used as trophies and will be worn by the falconer and his family. On grasslands where temperatures are often below zero, fox skin is a good equipment for keeping out the cold.