Houbara hunting with falcons becoming too dangerous in a time of regional unrest - in pictures

A boy holds a falcon during Qatar International Falcons and Hunting Festival at Sealine desert, Qatar. The participants at the contest compete for the fastest falcon at attacking its prey. Naseem Zeitoon / Reuters

The kidnapping of 26 Qataris in December in the Iraqi desert while hunting has highlighted the risks of pursuing the “sport of kings” at a time of heightened regional turmoil. Naseem Zeitoon / Reuters

A Qatari man prepares his falcon to participate in a falcon contest during Qatar International Falcons and Hunting Festival at Sealine desert, Qatar. Critics say that hunting with falcons is a reckless hobby that threatens the houbara, a dwindling species, and funnels money into areas controlled by militias. Naseem Zeitoon / Reuters

The tradition of falconry is thought to date back thousands of years, and for centuries nomad hunters relied on falcons. Naseem Zeitoon / Reuters

A Qatari man releases his falcon during a falcon contest at Qatar International Falcons and Hunting Festival at Sealine desert, Qatar. Every year the houbara bustard, a rare desert bird whose meat is prized, migrates from Central Asia to the far reaches of Iraq and Pakistan in search of a mild climate and a place to breed. Naseem Zeitoon / Reuters

The kidnapping of 26 Qataris in December in the Iraqi desert while hunting has highlighted the risks of pursuing the “sport of kings” at a time of heightened regional turmoil. Naseem Zeitoon / Reuters

A Qatari man prepares his falcon to participate in a falcon contest during Qatar International Falcons and Hunting Festival at Sealine desert, Qatar. Critics say that hunting with falcons is a reckless hobby that threatens the houbara, a dwindling species, and funnels money into areas controlled by militias. Naseem Zeitoon / Reuters

Scores of wealthy Gulf Arabs descend on Iraq to hunt the houbara bustard, a rare desert bird, with trained falcons through the winter months. But the kidnapping of 26 Qataris in December 2015 in the Iraqi desert while hunting, including members of the country’s royal family, has highlighted the risks of pursuing the “sport of kings” at a time of heightened regional turmoil.