A Spanish hunter, Carlo Pasc,o has hunted a flare-horned Markhor in Gilgit after paying a permit fee of $83,500, making it the third time the national animal of Pakistan has been hunted this season.
The hunting fees for different local species were decided in November last year as the Gilgit-Baltistan Wildlife department auctioned off the permits for Markhor for $83,500. In 2018-19, the hunters paid $110,000 for hunting the animal.
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Hunting Pakistan’s National Animal Now Costs $83,500
According to the wildlife department, 80% of the hunting fee goes to the local community for their welfare and conservation of local animal species, whereas the remaining 20% is deposited in the national exchequer.
Every year, hunting enthusiasts from across the globe make a trip to Pakistan’s northern areas, especially Gilgit-Baltistan, to collect trophies.
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List, Markhor is listed as a near-threatened species since 2015.
