For twenty years, Talgar had hunted with a golden eagle he called Tumara. Now Talgar was ready to return Tumara to the wilderness, as was the custom among eagle hunters. “I hope she will enjoy her freedom.”Kyrgyzstan’s eagle hunters, or burkutchu, carry on a long-standing tradition. For centuries, hunting with an eagle was essential to the region’s nomadic lifestyle: A good hunter could help feed and clothe a village. The hunters spend years with their birds, and the relationship can take on an almost human quality.