Italian hunts season's first markhor in G-B

Carlo Pasco paid $85,000 as permit fee for hunting a markhor in the region

GILGIT: The season’s first markhor was hunted in Skardu town of Gilgit-Baltistan on Thursday.

The first hunter, Carlo Pasco, traveled all the way from Italy to claim the trophy.

According to the G-B wildlife department, Pasco successfully hunted a flared-horned markhor from the Skardu conservation area managed by the local community and forest department jointly.

The hunter had paid $85,000 as permit fee for hunting a markhor in the region.

As per rules, 80 per cent of the fee paid by the hunter is given to the local community to invest on further conversation of these animals.

The markhor is a large capra species native to Central Asia, Karakoram and the Himalayas. It is listed on the IUCN Red List as Near Threatened since 2015.