Mongolia
15m
Jun 14, 2026
The Hunter and the Sky: Mongolia's Eagle Hunting and the Last Nomadic Partnership
In the Altai Mountains of western Mongolia, Kazakh hunters ride horses at full gallop through snow-covered passes while a golden eagle the size of a small child grips their arm. The eagle hunts. The hunter guides. The partnership — 4,000 years old, maintained by fewer than 400 active practitioners — is one of the most demanding inter-species relationships humans have ever developed. Here is what it requires and what it means