PESHAWAR: Aleksander Egrov, a Russian national, has hunted a Kashmir Markhor at Gaharait Markhor Conservancy in Lower Chitral district.

A statement issued here on Wednesday said the horn size of the eight years old goat was 36 inches.

It said that four permits for hunting of markhor were sold through open bidding process in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa every year.

The statement said 80 per cent of the bid amount went to the local communities of Chitral and Kohistan for enlisting their support in wildlife conservation and providing economic and social incentives for them.

All efforts are being made to hunt the mature male animal as it has large horns and harvesting of such older animal does not affect the reproductive capacity of the population on one hand and proves to be valuable trophy for the hunter on the other, the statement said.

Earlier this year, the wildlife department had netted the record highest amount of $575,500 (equivalent to Rs101.929 million) by auctioning four permits.

The record highest trophy hunting permit of markhor fetched $160,250 (equivalent to Rs28.362m) and second-highest permit was sold for $155,100 (equivalent to Rs27.470m).

Three hunters have hunted their trophies in Chitral and Kohistan districts out of total four permits sold for this year.

Published in Dawn, December 23rd, 2021