Eagles fight rabbits at a Kyrgyzstani hunting carnival

Editor’s Warning: some of the below photos are gruesome and show dead animals.

Robin O’Brien writes: For something different, I tagged along to an eagle hunting carnival. This event is held every year in Bokonbayevo, Kyrgyzstan and it was a big one, since eagle Oymok was making his return from injury, having been bitten by a wolf he was sicced on at the carnival. Really.

This is Oymok and his master:

A rabbit, about 100 metres away:

Punters watching on:

Oymok saw the rabbit…

The rabbit saw bushes on the hillside and Oymok quickly followed:

Oymok didn’t find the rabbit though. The two were carefully separated:

And returned to their respective corners, ready for round two.

But round two was another near miss

The rabbit heads for the safety of the rocks.

Which gets Oymok mad as hell.

And the contestants return to their corners for round three.

Round three begins with yet another Oymok miss.

And the rabbit starts to think he’s invisible.

But of course rabbits aren’t invisible.

Although, they do taste excellent.

And need to be guarded from leery punters.

A boy is despatched to collect the carcass.

Oymok has a snooze:

Then all six of us (seven, including Oymok) pile into the Lada to have tea at Oymok’s house.