US hunter bags Markhor trophy

CHITRAL:

During the third trophy hunt of the season, American national Robert Myles Hall successfully hunted a Kashmir Markhor at the Gehrait-Golain Community Managed Game Reserve in Chitral district, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, on Sunday. The Markhor, estimated to be around eight years old, boasted horns measuring 38 inches.

It may be recalled that on February 2, in the second hunt of the season, Denis Morozov, a Russian national, hunted down a Kashmir Markhor at Tooshi-Shasha Community Managed Game Reserve within the jurisdiction of Kasit VIllage.

The horn size of this mountain monarch was recorded 49 inches. It is mention-worthy that Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Wildlife Department is pursuing proactive conservation of wildlife species with the support of local communities as co-management partners.

Read: Markhor hunted in Chitral with record bid

In December last year, an American hunted a nine-year-old Kashmiri Markhor in Toshi Shasha Game Reserve in Lower Chitral. The US citizen, Deron James Millman, secured the bid for this hunt from the wildlife department after paying a hefty amount of Rs65 million or $232,000.

This is reportedly the highest bid paid for trophy hunting in Lower Chitral. According to the wildlife department, the markhor’s horn measured 45 inches, with the highest recorded in the conservative areas of Chitral at 53 inches.

A wildlife department official explained that 70% of the funds acquired from the trophy hunting permit would be retained locally, while the remaining 30% would be directed to the government’s treasury.

Initially, the number of markhors in Chitral was steadily declining but since the establishment of conservancies and game reserves with the local community’s participation, they have been increasing.

The breeding of markhors has now increased significantly and now they number in the thousands.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 19^th 2024.