THE Wildlife Department in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa successfully carried out its first trophy hunting of markhor in Toshi area of Chitral recently. The enormous markhor with about 45-inch horns was hunted by an American. Where the department and the local community were celebrating and congratulating the hunter on the successful hunt, many living in other parts of the country were calling the practice of hunting illegal and brutal. Such people should know the difference between trophy hunting and illegal hunting. These are two completely different entities.

Trophy hunting is done as a sport, not as a source of food, and affluent hunters from rich countries pay huge amounts for the hunt of a single animal, and take the trophy with them; the trophy in this case being the giant horns of markhor. This is legal in many countries, including Pakistan.

As per the relevant formula, 80 per cent of the total amount is given to properly established village council committees representing the local communities, which utilise this money to make roads, schools or on any other development activity in their respective areas. Only 20pc amount goes to the government treasury.

The fact os that trophy hunting has increased the population of the national animal as the local communities fully cooperate with the relevant department and collaborate in effots to protect the animal from ‘illegal’ hunting as they look at the much larger picture.

This hunt cost $212,000 to the hunter, which is equivalent to over Rs58 million. The 80pc share of the local community is the larger picture that we must focus on.

Mian Armaghan Ul Haq
Charsadda

Published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2024