Parahawking is an activity that combines paragliding with falconry. Birds of prey are trained to fly with paragliders, guiding them to thermals.
History
editThe roots of parahawking can be traced to aviators of the late 20th century such as naturalist Bill Lishman who in 1988 became the first person to lead the flight of geese with a light aircraft, and inspired the 1996 Columbia Pictures film Fly Away Home.[1]
In 2002 Italian aviator Angelo d'Arrigo crossed the Sahara and the Mediterranean Sea accompanied by an eagle, in an attempt to learn from them their techniques for migratory flight, by taking advantage of thermal air currents for long distance flight with low energy consumption.[2]
The term 'parahawking' was coined by British falconer Scott Mason,[3] who documented his endeavours in a film entitled Parahawking. Parahawking won the 'Air' category at the 5th Hory a Mesto International Festival of Mountain Films in Slovakia.[4]
Other noted parahawkers include Danish, two-time paragliding world champion, Louise Crandall,[5] whose film Flying with Eagles won first prize at the 2007 Coupe Icare film festival in St Hilaire, France.[6]
Controversy
editIn 2010 the Nepalese government announced that Scott Mason's Himalayan Raptor Rescue Centre in Pokhara was to be closed following allegations that it was illegally holding endangered birds and that its practice of parahawking amounted to cruelty.[7][8] Despite these allegations, Mason continued to practice parahawking in Nepal until at least 2017, when the Nepalese government confiscated a number of endangered birds of prey.[9]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Val, Ross (9 December 1995). "Canada's goose man flies into film". The Globe and Mail. pp. A1, C1, C2.
- ^ D'Arrigo, Angelo (2017). In Volo Sopra il Mondo. Fandango Libri. ISBN 9788860444981.
- ^ Charlotte Rixon (5 January 2016), Meet the man who invented parahawking and who's still fighting for Nepal's vultures—15 years later, lovenature.com, archived from the original on 7 March 2017, retrieved 7 March 2017
- ^ a.s, Petit Press (3 May 2004). "German film climbs to the festival's top". spectator.sme.sk. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
- ^ XCmag.com (28 November 2005). "Flying with eagles: Louise Crandal goes from 9 to 5 to feeling alive!". Cross Country Magazine. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
- ^ "DR: Flying With Eagles – awarded first prize at Coupe Icare Film Festival, St Hilaire, France". Storywise (in Danish). 8 February 2012. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
- ^ Andrew Drummond (17 February 2010), Birdman of Dagenham's vulture rescue centre in Himalayas is grounded, EveningStandard, retrieved 7 March 2017
- ^ Parahawking in Nepal under threat, CrossCountry, 18 February 2010, retrieved 7 March 2017
- ^ Scott Hjertas Mason (13 February 2017), Parahawking shut down, retrieved 7 March 2017