‘The men submerge themselves up to their chins, mimicking birds in order to attract waterfowl – which they then grab by hand. This technique is 5,000 years old’
In my 30 years at National Geographic, a recurring theme in my work was the impact of extractive industries on pristine ecosystems and indigenous communities. The bird-hunters in this shot are near a Harappan archaeological site in the Indus River Valley. Many of the traditions still surviving in this region of Pakistan can be traced back 5,000 years to the Indus civilisation. Mohana fishermen still use flat-bottomed boats similar to those from that time, and carve the same terracotta figures to offer at their modern-day temples. Bird-hunters in the area employ techniques depicted on ancient terracotta pots from the same period.
During my time in Pakistan, the region around Mohenjo-daro was notorious for kidnappings of Americans. It was a lawless area where groups of bandits operated. I ventured beyond the protected area of the archaeological site because I had heard about men who hunted birds by hand, a practice I had never seen documented. I spotted them from a distance carrying carefully wrapped bird-head hats, and arranged to join them the following day.
