I DEDICATE THIS BOOK TO MY WIFE ZDENKA, MY DAUGHTER ZUZANA AND MY SON JURAJ, TO ALL OF MY GRANDCHILDREN, BUT MAINLY TO MY LONG EXPECTED GRANDDAUGHTER MARÍNA WHO CAME INTO THIS WORLD ALMOST AT THE SAME TIME AS THIS BOOK. I HOPE THIS BOOK WILL BRING JOY NOT ONLY TO ACTIVE FALCONERS AND THEIR FANS BUT ALSO TO ALL PEOPLE WHO LOVE NATURE AND ADMIRE THE FLIGHTS OF RAPTORS IN THE SKY.
Tomáš Krivjanský: FALCONRY – Past and Present Copyright © Tomáš Krivjanský, 2014 Cover photo © Zdeněk Tůnka, 2014 Translation from the Slovak language by © Martin Krankus, 2014 Proofreader © Katie G. Perkowski Lecturer: Ladislav Fekete and Anton Moravčík Published by: Tomáš Krivjanský, www.krivjansky.sk Made in Slovakia Print: Ing. Miroslav Mračko, EPOS, www.epos.sk Orders: Tomáš Krivjanský, Osuského 34, 851 03 Bratislava, tel.: +421 2 390 120 91, mobile: +421 904 174 257 tkrivjansky86@gmail.com ISBN 978-80- 971671-3-4
Introduction
1. INTRODUCTION Falconry, a method of hunting using birds of prey, is still popular and actively practiced by more and more enthusiasts, who are generally organised in clubs. However, it´s not legally recognised as a way of hunting in all countries of the world. By the number of members, falconry is at its very beginning in some countries - Club y Escuela de Cetrería de El Salvador (2), Svenska Falkenareförbudet (3) or Falconers Community of Belarus “Lovchy“ (4). But there are also clubs with up to several thousands of members, such as the Falconry Heritage Trust (8,000), Algannas Falconry Club (5,000), The Emirates Falconry Club (5,000), North American Falconers Association (NAFA – 4,500) and Deutscher Falkenorden (2,500 members). The International Association for Falconry and Conservation of Birds of Prey (IAF) currently associates fourty-thousand falconers all over the world. This member base shows lively interest for further development of falconry and they need falconry literature. Slovakia has been missing a complete monography that would analyse the topic of falconry in all its aspects. As a founding member of the Slovak Falconers Club, I Pic. 1. From the left: Dr. Yves Lecocq, FACE secretary general with have decided to compose this publication, but due to the book “FALCONRY - Part 1: History of Falconry“ and Frank the extension of the topic only gradually, in separate M. Bond, IAF president in South Africa, August 14, 2008. thematic units which make individual parts of the complete monography. I wrote the first part “Falconry – History of Falconry“ (Sokoliarstvo – História sokoliarstva) in the year 2007 and the second part “Falconry – Our Raptors and Owls“ (Sokoliarstvo – Naše dravce a sovy) in 2009. The first part had a positive response as an “excellent book“ on the IAF General Assembly combined with the UNESCO conference in South Africa in 2008 (pic. 1), in Slovakia in 2010 and in the city of Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates in 2011. I have been encouraged to publish this book in English during my personal meetings with the IAF delegates on the aforementioned events, as well as passionately by my friends. The decision to do this grew in me gradually. Along with the process of the translating of the book, inspired by Anton Moravčík, I started to enrich the history-related text with my experiences from falconry events from the present-day, including photographs. And so, a brand new book came into existence in successive steps. You are now holding it in your hands and I hope you will read it after thumbing through. I hope it will please not only hunters, ornithologists and falconers, but will also make a contribution to the popularity of falconry among lovers of nature and the young people. In Bratislava, May 2014
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