The ancient art of falconry has been passed down for centuries in Mongolia.
The traditional form involves training eagles to help hunt wild animals like foxes and small hares—a powerful skill that can be handed down from father to son over thousands upon thousand years with practice!
German photographer Leo Thomas recently visited the Altai region where he captured these fascinating people practicing their craft by hunting smaller animals while keeping watch atop rugged mountainsides far away from any settlement or other human presence.
Meet Zamanbol, a Kazakh nomad who lives in the Altai region of Mongolia.
She’s one of just 10 eagle huntresses remaining on Earth today and spends most days going to school while weekends are reserved for training alongside Barzabai (her brother) and her trusted falcon.
In this article, we see how she rides horseback wearing handmade fur clothing which emits free-spirited strength alongside an unbreakable bond between herself as well as her companion eagle.
The photographer, Thomas says of Barzabai (Zamanbol’s 26-year old brother who happens to be the same age as him). “While he’s living in this ancient culture surrounded by family, incredible nature and animals, I’m sitting more than 60% of his time on screens. A pretty basic comparison but it made me think.”
The stunning images capture the beauty that is a mystery historical society far from our own western worlds.
Thomas’ growing portfolio captures the beauty of this mysterious culture.