Audrey Sohikian, Falconer
Audrey Sohikian is a licensed falconer. Falconry is an ancient sport which entails the taking of wild game in its natural habitat by the means of a trained raptor. Currently, she is finishing up her first year as an apprentice falconer with a juvenile male red-tailed hawk, who she’s trained to be a skilled and successful hunter. She is a 2014 graduate of Humboldt State University with a B.S. in wildlife biology. After graduation she says: “I combined my education and passion for wildlife and my path led me to wildlife rehabilitation in northern New Mexico. During my time there, I developed the skills to raise and take care of a variety of animals, but raptors ultimately stole my heart, so I decided to focus my career in specializing with birds of prey. I am very excited to share my passion of falconry with you and give you an insight on just how spectacular raptors truly are!
My African Experience
I conducted a predator-prey research project at the Balule Private Nature Reserve in South Africa. My goal was to develop a methodology that the reserve could permanently utilize in order to compare results over a long-term period. I was extremely honored when the reserve decided to adopt my methodology and the research project is still going on to this day!
The memories, friendships, and incredible wildlife encounters I experienced while living in the bush are ones I will cherish forever. I am excited to give you a glimpse into my African adventure
“Audrey has many unique and enviable qualities that sets her apart from other students and interns. She is clearly a very capable field researcher and has developed all the qualities of a scientist. She is a good self-starter, self-motivated, diligent and capable of working under very difficult conditions. Audrey also has a good analytical and strategic mind and can adapt very fast. Apart from the above, she is also very pleasant and has developed the social skills required to interact with all demographics without compromising on her own persona.”
Craig Spenser - Warden Balule Nature Reserve, Greater Kruger National Park
Randy Dykstra
Photographer
“the background images of this homepage of the red-tailed hawk were captured by wildlife photographer Randy Dykstra.”
I Would Love To Hear From You
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