A Spanish hunter, Cristian Pablo Abilo Gamezo, successfully hunted a nine-year-old Kashmiri Markhor in Lower Chitral’s Gahiret Gol area under the auspices of the Gahiret Conservatory Committee and the oversight of Farooq Nabi, DFO Wildlife Lower Chitral. This trophy hunt, sanctioned by a permit, occurred today within the designated conservatory limits.
The Department of Wildlife Lower Chitral reports that Gamezo paid US$219,000, equivalent to PKR 61.25 million, for the hunting rights. The Markhor, notable for its 41.5-inch long horns, contributes to conservation efforts; 80% of the hunting revenue supports local development projects, while the government receives the remaining 20%.
Markhor hunting in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is regulated to conserve endangered species and aid community development. The structured trophy hunting program targets select mature males and is pivotal to these conservation efforts.
The initiative has bolstered Markhor populations and transformed local communities into conservation stakeholders. In the 1990s, the species suffered from extensive poaching and habitat degradation. However, the introduction of controlled trophy hunting has revitalized their numbers, ensuring ongoing community support for wildlife preservation.
