GILGIT: An American citizen hunted a highest rated Astore Markhor in the SKB community control hunting area in Roundu area of Skardu on Sunday.

This was the second hunt of Astore Markhor in the current trophy season.

The trophy hunter, Joseph Bradford had Coore paid $181,000 to the GB wildlife department, said Mohammad Ilyas Balghari, a spokesman for the department.

On December 2, 2023 , Jan Jacob T. Dams from Belgium had hunted an Astore Markhor in the DMT hunting area of Astore after paying $177000.

In October 2023, the GB Forest, Parks and Wildlife Department had auctioned four licences for hunting the prized Astore Markhor, one of which fetched a record $186,000. Permits to hunt 104 rare species were auctioned as part of the trophy hunting programme for 2023-24.

The licences for hunting included four for Astore markhors, for 14 blue sheep and 88 for Himalayan ibex in various community conservation areas across GB.

The highest permit for Astore markhor was sold for $186,000, the second for $181,000, the third for $177,000, and the fourth for $171,000.

The base rate fees for blue sheep and Himalayan ibex permits were $9,000 and $5,500, respectively. The trophy hunting programme adheres to the “GB Trophy Hunting Guidelines 2019,” with the hunting season for ungulate species running from November 1, 2023, to April 25, 2024.

According to officials, 80 per cent of the proceeds go to local communities which utilise the funds for various development projects, including education and healthcare. The remaining 20pc is deposited in the government treasury.

The wildlife official said this year hunting was slow owing to the less snowfall. He said when snow fell the species come down from mountains and are hunted easily.

Published in Dawn, February 5th, 2024