Visit to the reserve: Extension of trophy hunting season

CHITRAL: Locals, tourists and the wildlife department of Chitral have demanded the government extend the annual trophy hunting season. Through a programme launched by the wildlife department, students visited Toshi Shasha game reserve and were briefed about markhors, a species of wild goats. The wildlife department expressed satisfaction over the growing number of markhors in Chitral. Divisional Forest Officer Imtiaz Hussain shared over 1,300 markhors live in an area of 1,500 kilometres inside the reserve. He said the department was also making efforts to increase the number of ibex in the region. For this purpose, village conservation committees have been formed in areas where both markhor and ibex trophy hunting takes place. The price of a markhor trophy hunting permit in Chitral starts at $18,000. About 60% is given to the community and 40% revenue is given to the government.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 31^st,  2016.