CHITRAL, Feb 10: The locals have expressed concerned over what they called illegal hunting of Kashmir Markhor in Chitral Gol National Park.

“We have found more carcasses of Kashmir Markhor in the park area,” they claimed. They added that about 50 animals were found dead in the area during the last two months.

They said that some inexperienced hunters fired at the animals and left them wounded. The animals later succumbed to their injuries, they added.

They said that flocks of crows and vultures circling over a particular place indicated presence of a dead animal.

The locals feared the poachers might have illegally hunted a large number of markhors in the park in the absence of effective control.

The national park was established in 1980s when the rare species of Kashmir Markhor was declared endangered.

A World Bank-funded project was launched in 2001 to upgrade the park. The local communities were involved in conservation work to form 11 village conservation committees (VCCs).

The VCCs had employed 25 community watchers, who checked poaching in the national park. The population of markhor reached a comfortable level with the help of these committees.

The park is also home of national bird chakor and national tree deodar.

The locals said that after the end of the project, the community watchers were also sent home. “As a result poachers have stepped up their illegal activities,” they said.

“There are only six watchmen in the national park and the number is quite insufficient to monitor the area effectively,” they added.