 |
| Falconry |
Falconry in UAE
I was invited to my friend's house. During my visit I met my friend's father. I had a little chat with him about many things; throughout my discussion, I observed his passion for falconry. Out of curiosity, I started to ask him some questions about hunting with falcons. He started talking about the history of falconry in the UAE.
Falconry dates back to about 2000 years ago. It is one of the oldest traditional sports in the region. It was greatly supported by Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan who said, "Falconry teaches endurance, strength, and patience."
I looked at him and said: "why did you guys bother anyway?" He said, originally, falcons were used for hunting, to supplement the Bedouin with some meat, such as hare or houbara.
In the past, before the development of roads and communication systems, hunting was also frequently used as a way for the sheikhs to 'tour' their land and keep in touch with the latest developments in areas. The sheikh would hunt during the day, and then a desert majlis would be held around the campfire in the evenings. Unlike what many people think, falconry is not an easy sport and requires a great deal of patience to train the bird to show off their skills.
"Now tell me uncle, what makes one falcon faster than another one?" Falcons are different, he said. There are certain types of falcons which were born fast. Shaheen is the fastest. Usually, female falcons are much more frequently used for hunting compared to males.
I asked, "why do you cover the head of the falcon? I noticed that on several occasions". He laughed and said this is what we call 'Al Burgu'; it's made of leather. It's used to cover the eyes of the falcons so as to prevent his sharp eyes from looking at the environment around and help the falcon adjust to the new environment.
I asked him, wondering, "How can you make sure that your falcon won't fly away?" He looked at me and said, "That's a very smart question". Usually, a falcon has to be made hungry enough to be excited to hunt, and not too much for him to be weak. As long as he is hungry he will be motivated to hunt. If your falcon is full, he will never come back. Nowadays, a sensor is fixed to the falcon's leg to make sure he can be found if lost.
"What about these days, do people still do it?" He replied that in modern times falconry is strictly controlled by both federal and local emirate laws, to ensure proper treatment of the birds. The government is systemically encouraging this sport by adopting countrywide contests, supported by big monetary prizes. The young generation is encouraged to practice this sport.
In the UAE, the Emirates Bird Society is responsible for making efforts to save and raise public awareness about the endangered species.
After nearly an hour of a passionate discussion around this topic, I realized that the old generation was truly connected to this sport. I concluded my visit by thanking him for his precious time. He promised me that the next time I visit him he will talk to me about camel racing.
Falconry dates back to about 2000 years ago. It is one of the oldest traditional sports in the region. It was greatly supported by Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan who said, "Falconry teaches endurance, strength, and patience."
I looked at him and said: "why did you guys bother anyway?" He said, originally, falcons were used for hunting, to supplement the Bedouin with some meat, such as hare or houbara.
In the past, before the development of roads and communication systems, hunting was also frequently used as a way for the sheikhs to 'tour' their land and keep in touch with the latest developments in areas. The sheikh would hunt during the day, and then a desert majlis would be held around the campfire in the evenings. Unlike what many people think, falconry is not an easy sport and requires a great deal of patience to train the bird to show off their skills.
"Now tell me uncle, what makes one falcon faster than another one?" Falcons are different, he said. There are certain types of falcons which were born fast. Shaheen is the fastest. Usually, female falcons are much more frequently used for hunting compared to males.
I asked, "why do you cover the head of the falcon? I noticed that on several occasions". He laughed and said this is what we call 'Al Burgu'; it's made of leather. It's used to cover the eyes of the falcons so as to prevent his sharp eyes from looking at the environment around and help the falcon adjust to the new environment.
I asked him, wondering, "How can you make sure that your falcon won't fly away?" He looked at me and said, "That's a very smart question". Usually, a falcon has to be made hungry enough to be excited to hunt, and not too much for him to be weak. As long as he is hungry he will be motivated to hunt. If your falcon is full, he will never come back. Nowadays, a sensor is fixed to the falcon's leg to make sure he can be found if lost.
"What about these days, do people still do it?" He replied that in modern times falconry is strictly controlled by both federal and local emirate laws, to ensure proper treatment of the birds. The government is systemically encouraging this sport by adopting countrywide contests, supported by big monetary prizes. The young generation is encouraged to practice this sport.
In the UAE, the Emirates Bird Society is responsible for making efforts to save and raise public awareness about the endangered species.
After nearly an hour of a passionate discussion around this topic, I realized that the old generation was truly connected to this sport. I concluded my visit by thanking him for his precious time. He promised me that the next time I visit him he will talk to me about camel racing.
