Goodies // Random Awesomeness I Encounter

A 13-year-old golden eagle huntress in Mongolia

By Ben • amazing tales, animals, photography • 16 Apr 2014

Ashol-Pan may well be the only woman in the world hunting with a golden eagle.

According an article by BBC, the Kazakhs in the Altai mountain range in western Mongolia are the only people to hunt with golden eagles. Asher-Pol's father, a celebrated eagle hunter himself, has introduced his daughter to the practice.

Eagles are taken from nests at a young age and often have wingspans greater than 7.5 feet. The eagles are released back to the wild after years of service. According to the photographer, Asher Svidensky, "That's how the Kazakh eagle hunters make sure that the eagles go back to nature and have their own strong newborns, for the sake of future generations."