PESHAWAR, Dec 2: The NWFP wildlife department on Saturday raised $227,000 from the auction of Markhor hunting permits under the Trophy Hunting scheme. The hunting season starts from Dec 1 and will last till March 31, 2007.

Three of the four permits auctioned were sold for $57,000 each while one was sold for $56,000, chief conservator of the provincial wildlife department Dr Mumtaz Malik said. The aggregate amount is $15,000 more than the previous year’s sale, which stood at $212,000, he said.

At one time, Markhors were listed in the endangered animal’s list but now Pakistan has one of the largest populations of the rare animal species.

He said the permits had been purchased by outfitters who will subsequently sell them to foreign hunters.—APP