El Haouaria to host traditional falconry festival
Tunis, June 12, 2008 (TunisiaOnline)- The picturesque sea side town of El Haouaria , located in Tunisia's green Cap Bon region, also known by its Roman name as ‘Aqualaria' , the country of the eagle, is holding the 42 nd edition of its falconry festival.
The festival which will take place from June 12 to 15 th , 2008 , attracts each year, foreign visitors, as well as Tunisians who gather to watch the dramatic hunting scenes, and high- flying competitions which make up the event.
Transmitted from father to son, the art of falconry, rests on the training of two species of birds, the sparrow hawk for hunting quails and the pilgrim falcon for hunting partridges .
The sparrow hawk is captured in the forests of El Haouaria thanks to two sorts of nets, whereas the pilgrim falcon is caught (in limited numbers) in the nest, and is destined to be trained.
More than two hundred bird breeders take part in the event, competing for the best hunting prize.
In the word of the director of the festival, Mr Chedli Jelidi, “the aim of the festival is to preserve the art of falconry in El Haouaria so as to develop tourism”.
The festival also offers a spate of cultural events such as music shows, sea excursions, and visit of Roman grottos, for which the town is famous.
At least two colloquia will be held respectively on “the adverse effect of climate change on migrating birds” and “the practice of natural medicine and biotechnology in El Haouaria”.
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