Falconry in Mongolia www.schoollinksprogramme.org

Mongolia• Mongolia is in Asia

• Mongolia is land locked

• The population is approximately 3 million

• The blue of the Mongolian flag, symbolizes the colour of the blue sky

• The red symbolizes freedom and advancement

The birth of falconry

• During Ancient times, people hunted with birds of prey for food & clothing

• Evidence suggests that falconry originated in Central Asia

• Mongolia is in Central Asia

Birds used in hunting

• Records show that in the past Mongolians used eagles to hunt mammals such as wolf, fox, steppe fox, hare and other mammals.

• Falcons and hawks were used to hunt grouse, duck, goose and other birds.

Chinggis Khaan 1162-1227

• Chinggis Khaan had a great knowledge of hunting with birds of prey

• Chinggis also used falconry as a form of entertainment

• A white eagle was used as the coat of arms on the imperial flag

Trading falcons• Falcons were given as

gifts from foreign countries. It was recorded that a Mongolian holy man received a white falcon from a Russian Tsar as a gift in 1675.

• Falcons were used to pay taxes

• Falcons were taken from defeated tribes

Kublai Khaan 1215-1294

This is an interpretation of Kublai Khan’s huge hawking excursions with thousands of falconers, and countless falcons, hawks and eagles. As many as 10,000 falconers took part in the hunting excursions.

Kublai Khan (grandson of Chinggis Khaan) hunted for pleasure

Falconry in Mongolia today

Hunting with eagles is practised by ethnic Kazakhs in western Mongolia

• Female eagles are used for hunting in winter

• Fox, rabbit and even wolf are hunted for their fur

Mongolian Falconers

• Narbek Khasim & Zakyeriya Sailaukhan – Mongolian eagle hunters

• Otgonsaikhan Dorjsuren is vice chairman of the Mongolian Falconers association

Acknowledgements

Many thanks to the following artists, photographers and falconers for images and text used in this PowerPoint :

• Andrew Lopez Sanchez• Linda Wright• Narbek Khasim• Otgonsaikhan Dorjsuren• Vadim Gorbatov• Shijirmaa Damdinsuren• Alan Gates