WESTERN MONGOLIA.
The Migration of the ‘Eagle Hunters'
I followed twice a nomadic Kazakh family and their livestock as they made their 150km winter and summer migration across the Altai Mountains. Ethnic Kazakhs number around 100,000 and are the largest minority in Mongolia. They are mostly settled around the nation's desolate far west, around the Altai mountain range, which stretches from China through Mongolia and Kazakhstan to Russian Siberia.
Read the story below…
• Eagle Hunter's Empire • Shohan a Kazakh Eagle Hunter with his Golden Eagle. Altai Mountains, Western Mongolia.
• Sheep Shearing •
• Ice Lake •
A nomadic Kazakh family and their livestock travel over the Altai Mountains during their Winter/Spring migration.
•The Migration of the Eagle Hunters•
Shohan a Kazakh Eagle Hunter with his Golden Eagle The hunters see themselves in the eagle: powerful and proud.
• Eagle Hunter's Daughter • Shohan's Daughter. Altai Mountains, Western Mongolia.
• The Patriach • Tabai, the Kazakh family patriarch posing with his medals and awards in recognition as a successful Eagle Hunter and Herder.
A Kazakh mother & wife over a bowl of salty milk tea
Practicing wrestling in front of our ger camp. Did you spot the rubbernecks?
• Wrestling Nomads •
Ice archery on frozen river. Ulgii, Mongolia
THE STORY.
The Kazakhs of western Mongolia, known for hunting with eagles, are nomadic people whose lives revolve around the movement of their livestock.
After spending some weeks with a nomadic Kazakh family in Summer 2016 I returned in March 2017 and followed them together with their livestock as they made their 150km Spring migration across the Altai Tavan Bogd National Park Region of the Altai Mountains in Western Mongolia.
The family that I migrated with traveled the 150 km over the course of 5 days, covering about 30 kilometres a day with 1000s of animals; goats, sheep, cows, horses and camels.
In winter, the lakes freeze solid; animals are afraid of the ice and will only cross when it is disguised by a covering of snow. It is a vast and unforgiving place to call home, where the winter temperature plummets to a bitter -40 degrees Celsius.