American hunts Markhor in Chitral after winning permit in historic bid

A US citizen on Sunday successfully hunted a magnificent Markhor at the Tooshi Shasha Conservancy of Lower Chitral district after obtaining a permit for the hunt via a bidding process, Geo News learnt via sources.

The US national, named Deron James Millman, won the bid in October, with a whopping $232,000, making it the biggest bid in history, the sources revealed.

Markhor, a wild goat native to high-altitude monsoon forests in central Asia, are highly valued for their majestic horns. In this case, the mountain monarch had a horn size of 45 inches.

In October last year, the wildlife department in the country’s northernmost territory auctioned hunting permits for Astor Markhors at record prices under the trophy scheme.

It's worth noting that hunting permits are issued annually for various areas, including Tooshi Conservancy in Chitral District, Gilgit-Baltistan, Gehrait Conservancy in Chitral District, and Kaigah Conservancy in Kohistan District.

Last year, the highest bid received for the associated species of Astor Markhor was $167,525.

The concept of trophy hunting has produced positive results as the Markhor population has increased.

Under the trophy hunting programme, local communities receive 80% of the licence fee and the government keeps the rest. The amount varies as licences are issued through a bidding process.

Moreover, only old and male Markhors are shot and such animals can be identified from their horns, gait and body structure. This programme has been cited as a huge success in biodiversity preservation in Pakistan.

The incentives created through the trophy hunting programme have introduced new ethical standards among the concerned communities that now protect their wild game species as an economic asset.

Markhor, the national animal of Pakistan, is protected by local and international laws such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites).