AL- REEM FARM- A MEMORABLE AFTERNOON WITH THE FALCONS

Yesterday, a group of us including myself had the pleasure of visiting the Al -Reem farm situated approximately an hour and a half outside the city of Riyadh. It was a day spent hunting with the falcons. The farm belongs to a member of the Saudi Royal family in partnership with Mr. Mobarak, who is an MBA graduate from King Saud university. Mr. Mobarak resides in Riyadh city but he is undoubtedly a typical Bedouin at heart. He is a man who is very knowledgeable in the field of Falconry as he is a fifth generation falconer himself. Falconry has been a part of his ancestors lives and has been an art that has been taught and handed down from generation to generation.The farm is undoubtedly one of the biggest in Saudi Arabia expanding over a few kilometers of land. The farm caters for periodical camel racing, safaris and of course interacting with the falcons. The farm is also a home to many wild game animals like deer, antelope and cheetah to name a few. Guests who have a flare for hunting are allowed to hunt the deer within the estate as part of a culling program as the deer multiply in their thousands over a short space of time.

On arriving at the farm we were asked to disembark from the bus and step into the four by four vehicles that are conducive to the desert terrain. However, we had a really fun bus driver who was hell bent on driving the huge bus through the desert at full speed swaying from side to side to prevent the bus from getting stuck in the sand. It was like a roller coaster ride with butterflies in the tummy and fits of laughter as we drove over many sand dunes.We eventually arrived at the camp site. It was undoubtedly a breathtaking site to see. Elaborately decorated tents with clean bathroom and toilet facilities awaited us.The tents were decorated with expensive carpets , cushions and traditional Saudi furniture.

We were welcomed with traditional Arabic coffee (Qahwa), tea and an assortment of dates.Whilst having the welcome snacks we were given a brief talk on the history of falconry and how it has evolved from an art used by ancient civilizations to obtain food and was a part of their survival strategy to a fully fledged sport in today's times. We then took a walk out in the desert climbing sand dunes. The view from the top was simply magnificent. The solitude and peace that I feel whilst being in the desert is a feeling that I can not explain. Breathing in the fresh desert air with a crisp wind blowing against your skin makes you feel alive again. Whenever I'm in the desert my mind becomes flooded with hundreds of thoughts. I always imagine how it must have been at the time of the Prophet (saw).The people of that time used astronomy and the guidance of the stars to reach their desired destination and even today the Bedouins of the desert are able to decipher their direction through the science of studying the position of the stars.

After relaxing the in the desert and observing breathtaking landscapes we all gathered back at the camp to meet Khobaas (reckless) and shalwa (a mountain range in the north western frontier of Pakistan), the two beautiful falcons that Mr. Mobarak owns. A falcon can cost from anything between Sr5000 to Sr 2 million depending on the speed at which the bird hunts its prey and also depending on the type of bird in terms of species.The endangered ones are the most expensive. Khobaas is worth Sr150 000. The farm also has a program in place whereby falcon birds are rescued, trained and then rehabilitated to be set free into the wild again. Mr. Mobarak then took us further into the desert where he released the falcons and it was fascinating to see the speed at which the birds attacked their prey. Each falcon was attached to a telemetry radio wave device that allows the falconer to track down the birds and locate them in the event of the birds flying away out of reach whilst chasing its prey.Once the birds caught their prey they started devouring the kill almost immediately. Falconers use various techniques to train their birds. They would shout the bird's name repeatedly whilst it is eating and also touch the bird with various hand movements so that the bird recognizes its owner. After a few hours in the desert we returned to the camp where we watched the sun set. We then made a camp fire and whilst we all interacted around the fire Mr. Mobarak's chef prepared kabsa for us which is a traditional Saudi dish consisting of rice and chicken or rice and lamb meat. We then concluded dinner with freshly made ginger milk which is also a traditional drink that is usually drunk in the winter months. Ginger is said to be very good for chest ailments and also for individuals having pain in the knees.With the beaming moon above us and the stars shining bright we then bid our friends farewell and drove through the darkness of the night returning to the city only to be bombarded with the hustle and bustle of city life. How I wish I could experience the serenity and peace of the desert everyday.

THE HISTORY OF FALCONRY

"Falconry is the hunting of wild quarry in its natural habitat with trained birds of prey. 

No one is sure when or where falconry began. Many say it began some 4,000 years ago in Asia Minor. Some say even earlier in the Far East. Authorities in prehistoric studies suggest that man may have even robbed meals from birds of prey.

From at least the 13th century B.C. using trained birds of prey to catch wild game has been in existence. This is documented mostly by reliefs sculpted during these times and a few scattered writings from the people known as the Hittites.

The Hittites were reputed to be a war like people inhabiting much of what we now know as the Middle East. In many areas of the Middle East and North Africa, falconry is practiced today much as it was in the ancient times.

There is no evidence to suggest that either the ancient Egyptians or ancient Greeks practiced or even had knowledge of falconry. In Egypt there are thousands of relief's and statues dedicated to Horus, the Falcon god. Mummified remains of falcons have been found in tombs.

The Romans and early Etruscans practiced falconry. The Japanese were introduced to Falconry in 244A.D. From about 100 A.D. until about 450 A.D. Rome was fighting the Huns of the Steps of Asia Minor and the peoples in what is now Germany and France, as well as the inhabitants of England and falconry began to spread. It is known that one of the more famous of the Huns, Attila was fascinated with hunting hawks and falcons of all species.

About the 4th to mid 5th Century we find evidence of falconry in Western Europe. In the chronicles of the Normans in about 550 A.D., there are several references to falconry. This area of Europe has a rich and colourful history and much of the romantic myths and legends come from this time. Much is noted both in art and in writings about falconry from this period.

We now see some of the first laws and formal writings about falconry. From this point in history it appears falconry is destined to be the sport of kings. It was the nobility that passed and enforced the laws of the land at that time. The common people were subjected to rule by their feudal lords. In the 8th Century we see the laws of Howel Dha. One passage ranks the Master of the Hawks, or the master falconer as fourth in rank to the king.

In the 11th Century, the Book of Saint Albans, lists the birds of prey and the person who may possess or fly such a bird. According to the Book of Saint Albans, only a King or Emperor was allowed to possess or fly an eagle. In the 13th Century the Japanese invoked a law that prohibited the feeding of snakes or turtles to falcons. Killing a trained hawk often cost the offender his life.

De Art Venandi Cum Avibus (The Art of Hunting with Hawks) written by Frederick II, was and still is considered a masterful book about training and hunting with birds of prey. It was written in 1247 and has since been translated into English and German. Many of the illustrations are considered to be some of the finest medieval art in existence today.

One story is how a young prince by the name Temoudjin and another prince, around 1180, had just lost a battle, and were making their way through the semi-desert, without weapons or food and were dying of hunger. They had almost abandoned hope, when Temoudjin saw a wild hawk. The other Prince said. "God is sending us our food, let us chase the hawk away, seize its quarry and then we can eat"...Temoudjin said "No, we will only be given food if we are able to earn it". The two planned to catch the hawk, train it to catch food for them and share with bird. They did and it worked. They were later able (almost 2 years later) to return to their own country. Now suppose if Temoudjin had died of hunger and not trapped and trained the hawk. History would have never known the man Temoudjin was to become Genghis Khan, who traveled to war with 500 falcons and 10,000 falconers.

As with all things, there is change. For over 18 centuries falconry had been practiced in many areas of the world. It was written about, studied and participated in by lower, middle and upper classes.

With the more common use of gun powder, musket and shot in the early 17th century, falconry began to fall from favor and fade into history. Although the art of falconry has never died out, it became more of a quaint tie to the past.

People who had nothing more in common, than their love for the birds began to band together to form clubs as early as the late 1700's. Even though the original clubs no longer exist, Falconers worldwide still band together in associations and local clubs.

Still, in some parts of the world, the traditions remain. The old, time honored, ways of training and hunting prevail in parts of North Korea and Mongolia. They are as ancient as falconry itself, passed from father to son and from Master on down. The same that has been done for centuries.

Source:
http://www.peregrineinternational.com/wildlife/control/falconry/

http://www.i-a-f.org/history.html