Amazing pictures of the wolf-skin clad Kazakhs who keep 4,000-year-old traditions alive (6)

Once the hunter spots the prey, he charges toward it causing it to flee into the open. The eagle is then released for the kill

During Massimo's trip in the Altai Region he learnt that it takes the hunters around five years to finish their training.

Massimo said: 'During this period the eagle must be treated with respect and gentleness or it might fly away and never come back. The trainer constantly sings and speaks to his bird to imprint his voice in its memory.

'The hunter does not keep the eagle with him forever. After years of service, the eagle is released into the wild.

'During my stay with eagle hunters, I felt great respect for the way they care and treat the eagle like a child. They have an extraordinary bond with the bird and it is very hard for them to let the eagle go back into the wild.'

As nomads, Kazakhs eagle hunters live in ger tents and they move three times per year, along with the family's livestock, which usually includes goats, yaks, horses and sheep