Trophy hunting of the Punjab Urial, the province’s official animal, has resumed after a two-year break. An American hunter recently bagged the first trophy in the Chakwal region, paying Rs. 6 million for the opportunity.
The Ministry of Climate Change authorized 16 permits for hunting the Punjab Urial auctioned by Punjab Wildlife. The permits sold for $3.28 million.
Each permit was priced at $20,500, with an additional $500 fee, bringing the total cost of a permit to around Rs. 5.86 million. Most of these permits were bought by outfitters who later sold them to hunters.
Thanks to efforts by Punjab Wildlife, the population of the Punjab Urial in the Salt Range has grown, allowing trophy hunting to return. The first hunted Urial had 30-inch horns, indicating it was a large, healthy animal.
Hunters are given a week to complete their hunt. Trophy hunting had been on hold for the past two years due to delays in registering Community-Based Conservancies (CBCs).
However, with the registration process now finished, the resumption of hunting marks a key milestone. Revenue from hunting will be used to fund wildlife protection and conservation through local CBCs.