Steppe Eagle Photography Exhibition Opens in Almaty, Kazakhstan

A photo exhibition titled “In the Footsteps of the Steppe Eagle” has opened in Almaty. It showcases the results of a joint project by Toyota Motor Kazakhstan, National Geographic Qazaqstan and the Institute of Zoology dedicated to studying and protecting this bird of prey, reports 24KZ.

Visitors were presented with 25 of the best photographs taken by photographers who joined scientists on expeditions. They documented field research and the lives of steppe eagles in their natural habitat. Nargiz, a female steppe eagle from the Zhetysu Region, is already nearing her wintering grounds. Tungysh, from Altyn-Emel, has chosen a different route, flying around the mountains and across the desert. Scientists are tracking these and four other eagles using GPS transmitters to monitor their migration routes, flight speed and altitude.

Zhannat Kuzekeyeva, Head of Marketing at Toyota Motor Kazakhstan:

- Thanks to the reliability and off-road capabilities of our vehicles, the team of scientists, photographers and media professionals was able to reach some of the most remote, fascinating and beautiful places where our steppe eagles live.

Throughout the season, researchers studied steppe eagle habitats, inspected nests and ringed birds. Their work was captured by photographers who accompanied them on expeditions across Almaty Region and Altyn-Emel National Park.

Farhat Kabdykairov, Photographer:

- It is an incredibly beautiful bird, of course. It is not easy to spot, find or photograph one. So this was an incredibly interesting project for me. We spent about 12 days travelling and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Dmitry Dotsenko, Photographer:

- It was interesting that we found the remains of a hedgehog in a nest. This helped us understand that steppe eagles in Zhetysu Region feed on long-eared hedgehogs. That was quite a discovery, even for the scientists.

The exhibition aims to raise awareness of the threats facing steppe eagles. Birds die from collisions with power lines, wildfires and poisoning. Their conservation is particularly important for Kazakhstan, which is home to around 80% of the global population of steppe eagles.

Authors: Indira Ungarbaeva, Mukhit Kudykbayev