Vasily Zaitsev, a hunter, shared his impressions from a hunt for kokhlyks that took place in January 2026 in the mountains of the Chui region, not far from Bishkek. During their stay in the gorge, they noticed a golden eagle sitting on the mountainside.
“From a distance, we couldn't tell what it was doing, but the bird had no intention of flying away, even when we got closer. Only when the hunters were at shooting distance did the eagle take off heavily, leaving something on the slope. Climbing up the gorge, we found a fresh jackal skin, which clearly indicated that the eagle had eaten it very recently, right before our eyes,” Zaitsev said.
According to the National Statistics Committee, as of the end of 2024, the population of golden eagles in Kyrgyzstan is 248 individuals. The period from 2018 to 2022 was marked by a stable population growth, which increased by 46.8% — from 269 to 395 individuals.
For two years, the population remained at a peak level of 395 individuals; however, in 2024, there was a sharp decline to 248 individuals, which is a 37% decrease compared to the previous year.
The current number (248) is even lower than the figures from 2018, when there were 269 golden eagles.
A population that had shown growth for more than five years has decreased by more than a third in just one year. Such a sharp decline — minus 147 individuals — could be caused by both natural factors and changes in the methods of counting territories.
