Reddit user lensoo posted this remarkable photograph, which he said was sent to him by a “captain friend” who was aboard a flight with a prince of the Saudi royal family.
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He says that the prince bought a ticket for each one of his 80 hawks, and that’s exactly what it looks like! The birds are restrained to keep them from moving around the cabin.
As in the United States, hunting is a popular activity. In the Middle East, falconry is especially popular with the wealthy, who train and house stables of birds. Like hunting dogs in the United States, falcons are released by the owner, seek their prey and return. Unlike dogs, a falcon will only hunt until it’s not hungry anymore, meaning that falconers going on long hunting expeditions need to have more than one falcon.
The birds are highly prized and often travel with owners in the cabin of the plane. In fact, Qatar Airways has a whole subsection of their “Transporting Animals” page dedicated to traveling with falcons (maximum of one falcon per person; no more than six falcons in one cabin).
Yes, the birds are carry-ons.