CHITRAL: An American hunted a nine-and-half-year-old Kashmir Markhor in Toshi Shasha conservancy of Lower Chitral district here on Saturday. He had got a permit for trophy hunting from wildlife department at a cost of 212,000 US dollars.

Divisional forest officer, wildlife division Chitral, Farooq Nabi told Dawn that unlike the previous trophy hunters, the American national, Deron James Millman, didn’t have to ascend the pasture in high altitude as he was fortunate enough to search a markhor in a wheat crop field near the adjoining Shali village.

He said that the markhor was standing in the middle of the recently-cultivated wheat crop when the hunter fired upon it, felling his trophy instantly.

Mr Nabi said that the horn of the markhor measured 45 inches, while 53 inches was the highest record in the history of trophy hunting in the conservancies of Chitral.

The forest officer said that due to the community-based conservation, the population of Kashmir Markhor had increased. He added that markhors descended to the wheat crops of the nearby villages of Toshi-Shasha conservancy for which the department compensated the farmers.

“Keeping in view the strength of markhors in a certain conservancy, the wildlife department puts to auction two markhors every year in Chitral district and the successful bidder is issued hunting permit.

Eighty per cent of the income accrued from the permit fee of the trophy hunting of markhor goes to the local community through the village conservation committees (VCCs), which have been organised in different villages,“ he said.

Published in Dawn, December 17th, 2023