Altai Mountains and white river, Bayan Olgii, Mongolia

Eagle hunters in Bayan Olgii, Mongolia. The captive eagles work in a similar way as hunting falcons do. While eagles are used for hunting in other parts of the world, particularly Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, the practice is most common in Bayan Olgii, where an estimated 80% of the world's eagle hunters live. The annual Golden Eagle Festival is held in Olgii every October to display the skill of eagle hunters, with about 70 hunters participating per year.