KAZAKHSTAN: Makpal Abdrazakova, probably the only female golden eagle hunter in Kazakhstan, continues her family traditions by winning contests in the national sport still mostly dominated by men

Record ID: 837540

  • Title: KAZAKHSTAN: Makpal Abdrazakova, probably the only female golden eagle hunter in Kazakhstan, continues her family traditions by winning contests in the national sport still mostly dominated by men
  • Date: 8th March 2012
  • Summary: AKSU-AYULY, KAZAKHSTAN (RECENT) (REUTERS) AKSU-AYULY STREET, MAN ON HORSEBACK AND CYCLIST PASSING BY MAKPAL ABDRAZAKOVA'S HOUSE MAKPAL WITH DIPLOMAS AND CERTIFICATES IN HER HANDS TAKING SEAT AT LOW TABLE CERTIFICATES AND DIPLOMAS ON TABLE (SOUNDBITE) (Kazakh) MAKPAL ABDRAZAKOVA, FEMALE GOLDEN EAGLE HUNTER, SAYING: "My father started the art of golden eagle hunting. He has been handling birds for 20 years now. He was the first to bring the bird to our home so he laid the foundation of this craft in our family. There are people in the Almaty district, the aksakals (elderly people), who had taught my father this art and then he taught me the hunting skills. Firstly I used to feed my golden eagle when my father was away. Then various competitions started and I started participating in them. These are my achievements in the competitions". MAKPAL'S TWO CERTIFICATES PINNED UP ON WALL MAKPAL WITH MOTHER AND BROTHERS FEEDING GOATLINGS AND CALF IN COURTYARD GOATS AND CALF EATING MAKPAL'S BROTHER CARRYING HAY FOR COWS MAKPAL GETTING WATER OUT OF WELL AND POURING WATER TO COWS MAKPAL ENTERING KITCHEN MAKPAL SLICING MEAT FOR GOLDEN EAGLE GOLDEN EAGLE SITTING ON PERCH IN COURTYARD MAKPAL HOLDING GOLDEN EAGLE AND APPROACHING HER BROTHER, WHO GIVES HER A BUCKET WITH MEAT MAKPAL FEEDING GOLDEN EAGLE ANOTHER GOLDEN EAGLE WAITING FOR FOOD GOLDEN EAGLE HUNTING COMPETITION CERTIFICATES ON TABLE (SOUNDBITE) (Kazakh) MAKPAL ABDRAZAKOVA, FEMALE GOLDEN EAGLE HUNTER, SAYING: "Because I am a girl many people ask me whether it is difficult for me to practice this (hunting) and I got used to such questions. It has been 10 years since I took up hunting. I started aged 13. I first started riding a horse and then I began to handle the bird and then went into sport. In 2003 I became a master of sports. Many people now know me and call me a girl-berkutchi (a golden eagle hunter). I hope that in the future there will be more berkutchi-girls". DIPLOMA PINNED UP ON WALL (SOUNDBITE) (Kazakh) MAKPAL ABDRAZAKOVA, FEMALE GOLDEN EAGLE HUNTER, SAYING: "When a girl comes (to the competition of eagle hunters) all male falconers and old respected people are glad that a new girl has joined them. They (the new female eagle hunters) carry on doing what I have started. Generally, the more women come to this sport the better, because it helps to develop the sport". SCHOOL WHERE MAKPAL STUDIED
  • Embargoed: 23rd March 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan
  • City:
  • Country: Kazakhstan
  • Topics: Environment,People,Lifestyle,Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAB2KTN2OL06D3ORLTGHBXVK5HU
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: Hunting with golden eagles is one of the most unique features of life in Kazakhstan. Though rather exotic for countries outside Central Asia, here it is an honourable and time-consuming crafs which demands lots of skill and energy.
    The experience of wild bird taming was built up by Kazakh bird hunters, called 'kusbegi' or 'berkutchi', over centuries, the secrets being passed from father to son. Golden eagles were used in ancient Central Asia to hunt deers, antelopes and even wolves, and throughout centuries the hunting was mostly dominated by men.
    However, 25-year-old Makpal Abdrazakova is the first woman in Kazakhstan who broke this tradition.
    Abdrazakova is probably the only female golden eagle hunter in Kazakhstan and she has been taking part and winning local hunters' contests for over ten years.
    Makpal lives in the village of Aksu-Ayuly in central Kazakhstan near the industrial town of Karaganda. A multiple winner of various competitions, this female falconer learned the cherished tradition from her father Murat, himself a keen falconer with a 20-year experience under his belt.
    The woman-hunter got engaged in bird handling when she was only 13 and began her professional career aged 15. Makpal's first golden eagle, which she has been taming since she was a teenager, is called Akzhelke. The master has literally grown up together with her nurseling, which is now 10.
    Golden eagle hunting competitions involve a variety of routines. One is when a bird is released and then has to return to its master's arm, another is meant to show the bird's closeness to its master: when a stranger releases it far away from Makpal, Akzhelke still finds its way to its owner.
    Bits of animal skin are normally used to tame the bird. The hunter throws them into the air towards the game - a rabbit, a fox and even a wolf. The taming process is very time-consuming and sometimes pushes the master's patience to the limit.
    In competitions those clocking the fastest times and the best techniques are awarded the highest scores.
    "My father started the art of golden eagle hunting. He has been handling birds for 20 years now. He was the first to bring the bird to our home so he laid the foundation of this craft in our family. There are people in the Almaty district, the aksakals (elderly people), who had taught my father this art and then he taught me the hunting skills. Firstly I used to feed my golden eagle when my father was away. Then various competitions started and I started participating in them. These are my achievements in the competitions," Makpal said showing her diplomas and certificates - a result of the woman's long career.
    Bird-feeding is a special ritual which forms a unique emotional bond between a master and a bird. Ultimately, the bird and its owner become very close, and this lays the ground for successful performance. Makpal said when she had been away studying law in the city of Karaganda, Akzhelke would not even let strangers put a leather cap - known as 'tomaga' - on her head.
    The daily training brings its results - as time passes, the bird starts to understand human language, making hunting easier for its owner.
    If a bird has good relationships with someone, it begins to see the person within its master, Makpal says.
    The hunter says her elder brother has recently taken up falconry too, and the entire family is set to continue this tradition.
    Kazakh eagle is one of the world's fiercest, with a wingspan of 6.6 feet, razor-sharp talons and the ability to dive at the speed of an express train - up to 190 miles per hour.
    Makpal says she has got used to being the only girl hunter but says that more women in this field would help to develop it further.
    "Because I am a girl many people ask me whether it is difficult for me to practice this (hunting) and I got used to such questions. It has been 10 years since I took up hunting. I started aged 13. I first started riding a horse and then I began to handle the bird and then went into sport. In 2003 I became a master of sports. Many people now know me and call me a girl-berkutchi (a golden eagle hunter). I hope that in the future there will be more berkutchi-girls," Abdrazakova said.
    Makpal said local elders and professional hunters support her and treat her respectfully and always invite her to take part in different hunting competitions.
    "When a girl comes (to the competition of eagle hunters) all the male falconers and old respected people are glad that a new girl has joined them. They (the new female eagle hunters) carry on doing what I have started. Generally, the more women come to this sport the better, because it helps to develop the sport," she said.
    Besides hunting, Makpal teaches nature study classes at a nearby village school where she herself studied as a child.
    She believes that teaching children about hunting birds will make them more interested in the craft. Even if not all children grow into professional hunters, they need to know the basics of bird-care, still largely unknown in the communities.
    For instance, if a golden eagle injures its leg one should not approach it too quickly, Makpal said. Makpal says that another rule which a lot of people don't know is that golden eagles should be given only unsalted meat. After all, the hunter says, it helps to keep the birds healthy and maintain the ancient tradition.
    Makpal recently graduated from a law school in Karaganda. She is very optimistic about her future and says she will try to balance her lawyer career with hunting.
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