Falconry is a very popular sport in some countries of the Middle East. I never knew the falcons could fetch that much.
Falcons Can’t Fly Without Passports in the United Arab Emirates
ID documents are helping stamp out smuggling for the prized birds
image: http://thumbs.media.smithsonianmag....74b78f9/42-59712979.jpg__800x600_q85_crop.jpg
This man living in Dubai would need proper documentation if his bird is to fly — on an airplane, that is (Tuul & Bruno Morandi/Corbis)
By Marissa Fessenden
SMITHSONIAN.COM AUGUST 12, 2015 12:15PM
In the United Arab Emirates, even falcons have passports. Actually, they're required to do so if they want to fly on a plane, reports Dawn Bradley for The News Hub. This practice isn’t just "providing a status symbol" for rich falcon owners, she writes: It's aimed at preventing falcon smuggling.
Trained falcons are a coveted commodity. Jer Falcons or Icelandic Falcons are considered to be "flawless and genetically pure," writes Chris Peak for The Huffington Post, a status that can command prices of up to $1 million per bird. That kind of money has led to a black market for the birds. The Saker falcon of Mongolia has an estimated black market value of £2.6 million ($4 million), according to Tom Parfitt at The Telegraph. Prices like these are threatening the survival of rare species like the Saker. Smugglers are even transporting falcon eggs.
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Falcons Can’t Fly Without Passports in the United Arab Emirates
ID documents are helping stamp out smuggling for the prized birds
image: http://thumbs.media.smithsonianmag....74b78f9/42-59712979.jpg__800x600_q85_crop.jpg
This man living in Dubai would need proper documentation if his bird is to fly — on an airplane, that is (Tuul & Bruno Morandi/Corbis)
By Marissa Fessenden
SMITHSONIAN.COM AUGUST 12, 2015 12:15PM
In the United Arab Emirates, even falcons have passports. Actually, they're required to do so if they want to fly on a plane, reports Dawn Bradley for The News Hub. This practice isn’t just "providing a status symbol" for rich falcon owners, she writes: It's aimed at preventing falcon smuggling.
Trained falcons are a coveted commodity. Jer Falcons or Icelandic Falcons are considered to be "flawless and genetically pure," writes Chris Peak for The Huffington Post, a status that can command prices of up to $1 million per bird. That kind of money has led to a black market for the birds. The Saker falcon of Mongolia has an estimated black market value of £2.6 million ($4 million), according to Tom Parfitt at The Telegraph. Prices like these are threatening the survival of rare species like the Saker. Smugglers are even transporting falcon eggs.
Read more:
History Travel Arts Science People Places Smithsonian
