In the wild and mountainous regions of western Mongolia lives a small group of Kazakh nomads who keep a millenary tradition alive. They are hunters who, helped by eagles, catch various types of prey, including foxes, wolves and hares. Here the hunt is not a squalid "sport" for leisure, but a source of livelihood.

By now there are only a few, around 300, and almost all are men, known as "burkitshi", except for a dozen women, including Zamanbol, whom the photographer Leo Thomas met in the Altai region here to immortalize this guardian people of ancient traditions, on the borders of civilization.

Nomads, they live mainly on sheep-farming, only a few remain and do not need comfort. Just the essentials. Even when winter temperatures reach 40 degrees below zero.

leo thomas wilderness photography amazing nomad mongolia eagles camponogaraboys studio camponogara