35 hunters fined Rs 550,000 for illegal partridge hunting in Punjab

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A total of 35 hunters have been fined Rs. 550,000 for illegal partridge hunting and violations of regulations in the Salt Range and Rawalpindi regions.

According to details, under the leadership of Deputy Director Wildlife Salt Range Region, Rai Zahid Ali Kharl, the wildlife staff checked 110 vehicles, 299 hunters, and 296 permits, Express News reported.

They issued 17 challans on the spot for violations of regulations, including illegal hunting of wild boar, rabbits, use of PCP, and illegal possession of partridges. Additionally, 9 cases were compounded with a fine of Rs. 181,000. One case was referred to court, and 7 cases are still pending.

Similarly, Deputy Director Wildlife Rawalpindi Region, Raja Ihsan Ahmed, along with his team, conducted checks at various locations in Rawalpindi and Attock districts during the legal hunting of partridges. They issued 15 challans for violations of regulations and illegal hunting of wild animals, imposing a departmental fine of Rs. 266,000.

In another successful operation, Assistant Director Wildlife Attock District, Zeeshan Yousaf Jatoi, along with his team, imposed a fine of Rs. 100,000 on three hunters for the illegal hunting of wild rabbits and resolved the case.

It is important to note that Punjab Wildlife has allowed partridge hunting only on Sundays from December 1 to January 31.

American hunter secures first Kashmir Markhor of season in Chitral with record bid

A significant moment in trophy hunting occurred as American hunter Ronald Geo Whinton successfully hunted the first Kashmir markhor of the season in Chitral with the highest permit bid ever placed in Pakistan’s history.

According to local media, Farooq Nabi, the Divisional Forest Officer (Wildlife) for Chitral, Whinton won the permit in an open auction held in October, paying a record $271,000.

The permit allowed him to hunt the endangered species under the supervision of wildlife authorities. The hunt took place on Sunday, and the animal’s horns measured 49.5 inches, with the markhor being 11 years old.

“This is a notable achievement for both the hunter and the local conservation efforts,” Nabi said. The permit was part of an auction where four permits for hunting the markhor in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa were sold.