Deron James Millman, a US national, successfully hunted a magnificent Markhor in the Tooshi Shasha Conservancy of Lower Chitral district, Pakistan, after winning a record bid. Millman secured the hunting permit through a bidding process in October, offering a substantial $232,000, the highest bid ever recorded for such a hunt.
The Markhor, a wild goat indigenous to central Asia’s high-altitude monsoon forests, is renowned for its impressive horns, with the hunted specimen boasting a 45-inch horn. Trophy hunting, particularly of species like the Astor Markhor, has been a significant conservation strategy in Pakistan.
The program, which allows hunting of only old and male Markhors identifiable by their horns, gait, and body structure, has led to a noticeable increase in the Markhor population. The wildlife department in Pakistan’s northern territories, including areas like the Gilgit-Baltistan and Kohistan District, auctions hunting permits under this scheme.
The Trophy Hunting Programme
The trophy hunting program allocates 80% of the licence fee to local communities, with the government retaining the rest. The revenue distribution has created incentives for communities to protect these wild species as economic assets. The success of this program is evident in the enhanced biodiversity preservation in Pakistan, setting new ethical standards in wildlife conservation.
Markhor, Pakistan’s national animal, is protected under both local and international laws, including the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
