The tradition of hunting with tame hawks and falcons appeared very long ago. Today it is preserved only in a few countries including Kazakhstan. February 12, near the village of Nura (Almaty oblast), the 4th hunting tournament of the Republic of Kazakhstan was held.

There were competitions in several disciplines, starting with grades for the appearance and quality of equipment of a hunter, checking out how well the bird was trained, and finally the main event – hunting for hares and foxes. The winner was determined by the results of this last contest. Photos by Svyatoslav Antonov.

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Tags: Almaty oblast · falcons · hawks · hunt

Falcons are one of the main symbols of Kazakhstan (there is one on the flag of the country). And you can see why just looking at the following very nice photos captured in Almaty oblast of Kazakhstan by Valery Ayapov.

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Tags: Almaty oblast · falcons