The annual Eagle Festival will be held in Mongolia’s far western Bayan-Ulgii province on October 4 and 5. 

The festival was traditionally meant to honor the first day of snow along with the eagles’ first day of hunting for the season. Eagles were trained to hunt for thousands of years in Central Asia. Today, however, trained eagles are only found in Mongolia. 

The festival includes a parade where hunters and their eagles are displayed in the central square. Also, competitions are held in which eagles catch small animals such as fox and hares. 

Performances are held during the festivals and prizes awarded for the fastest eagle, for the best traditional Kazakh dress, and more. 

Officials say some 200 tourists from 14 countries have come to Mongolia to attend the Eagle Festival.

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reply written by MNS062808, September 24, 2008

Correction- 'HAVEN'T descended en masse to spoil this'.

Late in the day and tired to boot. Sorry.

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reply written by MNS062808, September 24, 2008

Little wonder that this kind of festival is held in Mongolia. If it were held in the States, little children would be shielded from seeing things like eagles getting foxes or hares by overzealous, overprotective parents. PETA would be crying a blue fit over the mere fact of eagles being in human hands at all. The whole show would be shut down on account that it *gasp!* 'glorifies a barbaric past'.

It makes me glad to see that Mongolia still is proud to carry on this ancient tradition and have a festival to honor it. I'm grateful that the historical revisionists have descended en masse to spoil this.

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