CHITRAL, Aug 25: The local police booked two poachers on Sunday night after poaching of two Kashmir markhors was reported in the area of Toshi conservancy on the outskirts of the city two days ago.

Mohammad Akbar Khan, Abdul Hakim Khan and Darvesh Khan of Saeen village had filed a complaint with the local police station, stating that two villagers Tufail Mohammad and Sardar Khan had hunted two markhors in the conservancy area.

They stated that the poachers turned their automatic rifles on the community watchers and threatened to kill them if they tried to intercept them. The hunters later fled with the carcasses.

The complainants also stated that the poaching of two markhors had cost the local community a loss of Rs20 million as the trophy hunting permit fee of each markhor was Rs10 million last year.

It was also stated in the application that a number of other villagers were also witness to the incident of brawl between the watchers and poachers.

An official of Chitral police station told Dawn that the poachers had been booked under section 506 of PPC and 8(2) and 16(2) of the Wildlife Act.

Meanwhile, Hasnatuddin, general secretary of Al-Burhan Conservation Society of the area, told this correspondent that after getting information he rushed to the conservancy in search of the poachers.

He said that he had found some of the remains, including blood and other excreted material, buried at the site while the poachers did not return to their homes throughout the night as the community workers were waiting near their homes.

He said that the hunted markhors were female which meant a double loss as the breeding season had passed just two months ago and the death of female could lead to the death of newborns.

The wildlife department did not take any step against the poachers during the two days though they had the powers vested in its officers to book the poachers under the Wildlife Act.

The Peshawar High Court chief justice had already taken a suo motu notice of the poaching of markhors in Chitral Gol National Park in February, warning the wildlife department to take concrete steps and strictly check illegal hunting of markhors.