Several falcons recently flew from Qatar to Morocco. But not in the way you might think.
A 35-year-old businessman named Ryan was traveling for work on Dec. 29, when he got a shock. Unbeknownst to him, the birds were on his flight.
“When we stood up to disembark, I looked over and thought ‘Am I dreaming? Where am I?’” he told SWNS. “I was in shock. I’ve never seen anything like this before coming from the US, where animals on flights are so restricted.
“They were so calm and the owners didn’t seem fazed at all. It was fascinating to witness.”
Falconry is a popular sport in many Arab countries, with the birds being highly prized and meticulously trained.
“I didn’t smell or hear them at all,” Ryan remarked.
He said he later received comments on his post about the popularity of the sport in the Middle East.
“People from the region commented on my post explaining that falcons are often flown in business or first class, especially for competitions or hunting trips,” he shared.
‘I’ve since learned this is a common practice in the region but for a Westerner like me, it was completely unknown,” Ryan added.
While the sport isn’t as popular in America, the U.S. does have its own uses for the intelligent, speedy birds.
In 2017, VICE News looked into how some farmers use the predators to protect their crops from nuisance birds.
“Every year there’s more and more farmers and industry that are using [falcons] as a means of natural bird control,” said master falconer Justin in the piece.
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