The Gilgit-Baltistan Wildlife and Parks Department auctioned hunting permits for 118 animals on Wednesday for the 2025–26 trophy hunting season, with the highest bid reaching an unprecedented $370,000 for an Astore markhor.
The auction was held at the Forest, Parks, and Wildlife Complex in Gilgit, where outfitters and hunters competed for permits. The department offered licenses for four Astore markhors, 100 Himalayan ibex, and 14 blue sheep.
The $370,000 winning bid for the markhor permit, placed by Shikar Safaris owner Raja Farhad Maqpoon, is now the highest recorded for a single hunting permit in both Pakistan and the world, according to officials. The permit grants hunting rights in the Nanga Parbat conservancy area.
“This is a record for the highest markhor hunting permit bid ever,” said GB Conservator for Parks and Wildlife Khadim Abbas. He noted that the previous record stood at $271,000, set last year in Chitral by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Wildlife Department.
Other markhor permits sold for $286,000, $270,000, and $240,000. For the blue sheep, the top permit fetched $40,000, while the highest bid for a Himalayan ibex reached $13,000. Both were secured by M. Ali Nagri of Markhor Safaris.
The department increased base prices this year to reflect rising demand. The starting price for a markhor was raised from $150,000 to $200,000, while base prices for blue sheep and Himalayan ibex were set at $30,000 and $10,000, respectively. Last year, the highest bid for a markhor was $161,000, less than half of this year’s record.
Don’t kill them
They are beauty of the nature.
can you give a life to a markhor
by spending this much money after killing.
Does this permit allow for specific number of animals or kill as many as you can. Secondly, why kill them.
Why kill an endangered animal? To taste half hour of stew and rice. And place their heads in the wall of fame.
Hi, the permits are given for those marked animals who are older ones and and could be died in some time so to give license for their hunting to encourage legally hunt nad the money authorities earned are 80% is spent to lift local population from poverty and development in those areas in shape of schools, hospitals and other infrastructure etc
yes for exact purpose
Why GB authorities issued HL for endangered wild life species?
Just one animal which is already tagged and is close to natural death. Kill it because its old and it’ll die soon anyways. The money helps in conservation of young ones.
Shame on government or whoever issued this permit for killing endangered animals for fun.
Being poor nation and lack of facilities, the permit is sold. The recovered amount by auction is utilized to conserve the habitat of the animals and help the infrastructure in remote areas as well as to compensate the poor villagers in these areas. The permit is for one animal, not for specific period nor for numbers.