GILGIT: German citizen Thomas R. Lemmerholz hunted the season’s first blue sheep with horns measuring 29 inches in Shimshal Community Control Hunting Area (CCHA) in Gojal, Hunza.

According to GB wildlife department officials, the hunter paid a fee of US$22,000 to the department.

The department auctioned permits for the hunting of 119 rare species under the trophy hunting programme 2022-23, with hunting of the endangered astor markhor fetching the highest licence fee of $100,000 in the history of trophy hunting.

Hunting permits for five Astor markhors were auctioned from $100,000, 14 blue sheep from $8,500 and 100 ibex from $3,600.

Many national and international hunters purchased the permits. Hunting season in the region begins in November and ends in April.

According to officials, the trophy hunting quota has been created on the basis of annual surveys conducted by wildlife experts. Eighty percent of the money received from the trophy hunting programme goes to local communities which spend it on education, health and other development projects.

The remaining 20pc money is deposited in the government exchequer.

GB is rich with flora and fauna because of its varied climatic conditions and ecosystem, the region is home to many rare species, such as the marco polo sheep, ibex, markhor, urial, blue sheep, lynx, snow leopard, leopard cat, brown and black bears, wolf, fox, marmote, chakor, ram chakor and golden eagle.

However, some of these rare species are facing the threat of extinction due to illegal hunting, negligence of the wildlife department and issues related to climate change.

Published in Dawn, November 16th, 2022