Luke Oppenheimer's 'Ottuk' documents Kyrgyz wolf hunters

Photographer Luke Oppenheimer's four-year project 'Ottuk' captures the lives of wolf hunters in the remote village of Ottuk, Kyrgyzstan. Published by Aliens in Residence, the work documents how wolves kill dozens of horses and countless sheep annually, forcing men to hunt in the Tien Shan mountains during harsh winters. Oppenheimer, initially on a short assignment in January 2021, was gradually accepted into the community and adopted by a family. The project portrays villagers like Nuruzbai, 62, who spends most of his time hunting, and Ruslan, 35, who travels the country shooting wolves for payment in sheep or horses. Temperatures can drop to -35°C, and frozen sheep are a common sight. Legends such as the Kaiberen deer and the Bugu tribe's deer ancestry shape local beliefs. Ninety-two-year-old Tokush recalls wolves destroying her home during collectivization. A military veteran notes that Soviet-era support for herders disappeared after the USSR, with corrals destroyed for materials. Oppenheimer will sign books at the AIPAD Photography Show in New York on April 24, 2026, at booth P06.