What makes Falcons so special to Qatar? | ITV News

Falconry is part of Qatar’s rich Bedouin heritage, but falcon racing is very much part of the country’s modern identity.

Falcon racing is a status of the wealthy, considered more prestigious than Bulgari jewels.

As more and more money is spent on technology to train falcons for competition, owners expect excellent medical treatment when accidents happen.

Sick falcons are taken to Doha’s Falcon Hospital next door, where staff can sharpen talons and reattach lost feathers from an extensive feather collection.

Falcons have to be in peak condition for a month of racing – held in January, a celebration of speed, agility and tradition.

Steve Scott travelled to Doha to spend time at one of the world’s most unusual medical centres, the Souq Waqif Falcon Hospital, to see why the falcon continues to be the most highly prized - and looked after - bird in Qatar.

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