The last eagle hunters

Photographer

Thibault Gerbaldi

Category

Editorial Photography - Travel

Company

Submission Group

Amateur

Year

2026

Country / Region:

United States

A young Kazakh eagle hunter rides across the vast steppes of western Mongolia with his golden eagle, continuing a tradition passed down through generations. Recognized by UNESCO as part of humanity’s intangible cultural heritage, eagle hunting demands years of trust and training between hunter and bird. In an increasingly modern world, only a few hundred hunters still preserve this remarkable bond between human, animal, and landscape.