CPOY

CPOY 72 International Picture Story Gold: In Her Footsteps

For 2000 years, Kazakh men have been hunting with golden eagles. Since the past centuries, most of them live in the Altai mountains of western Mongolia, where the traditions and knowledge have been passed on through the generations, always from father to son.

But recently, fifteen year old girl Aisholpan Nurgaiv changed the circumstances and shocked the eagle hunting society by being first female to enter and win the world's biggest eagle hunting competition.

This project follows the life of thirteen year old Bor Dameli Shokan, one out of very few young girls that are following in Aisholpans footsteps and started hunting. Right now Bor is training her own eagle to reach her dreams, hoping that one day she will become famous and accepted as a true eagle hunter.

Caption
Slide 8 of 8
February 20, 2017
Out of the 250 remaining eagle hunters in western Mongolia, there is not stated how many of these that are women. Some say three, some say fifteen. What we do know is that they are very few. "In 5-6 years I think I'll be a complete eagle hunter. But I don't know how long I can continue. What will happen if I get married or if I have to move for studies? I don't know if I still could hunt. Only time will tell", Bor Dameli Shokan say.
Erik Nylander / Mid Sweden University
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