- CHITRAL, Pakistan – Friday, the Wildlife Department announced that a permit for Markhor trophy hunting in Chitral was auctioned for $160,250 at the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa game reserves.
- According to a statement released by the Wildlife Department, this was the highest bid so far, offered by a Turkish businesswoman, for trophy hunting of the animal famed for its gorgeou …
- The Markhor, also known as the screw horn or “screw-horned goat,” is Pakistan’s national animal.
CHITRAL, Pakistan – Friday, the Wildlife Department announced that a permit for Markhor trophy hunting in Chitral was auctioned for $160,250 at the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa game reserves.
According to a statement released by the Wildlife Department, this was the highest bid so far, offered by a Turkish businesswoman, for trophy hunting of the animal famed for its gorgeous coiled horns.
The Markhor, also known as the screw horn or “screw-horned goat,” is Pakistan’s national animal. It’s a big Capra that lives in Central Asia, the Karakoram, and the Himalayas. Since 2015, it has been categorized as ‘near threatened’ on the IUCN Red List.
According to the announcement, four permits for 2021-2022 have been sold for $575,500.
Annual hunting permits are issued in the conservancies in Gilgit-Baltistan, Chitral, and the Kohistan districts.
Trophy hunting has shown favorable results, with the number of Markhors in the country increasing to 3,500 to 4,000, from 1,500 to 2,000 in 2001.
Local communities receive 80% of the license fees under this program, with the government keeping the balance. Because the licenses are awarded through a bidding process, the amount fluctuates.
Only old male Markhors are shot in trophy hunting. They may be identified by their horns, stride, and body form. This program is currently seen as a significant step forward in Pakistan’s biodiversity preservation efforts.
The trophy hunting program’s incentives have engendered new ethical standards among the local communities, which now protect their wild game species as an economic asset.
According to the climate change ministry, the trophy hunting program has made it illegal to kill Markhor without a license. Illegally hunting a Markhor carries a maximum term of three years in prison.
