https://www.samaa.tv/news/2019...d-markhor-for-92000/



Animals won’t survive unless you put a value on them, says American who hunted markhor for $92,000

January 20, 2019 Manzar Hasan shigri




US hunter Christopher Anthony, who paid Rs14 million to hunt a markhor in Chitral, thinks animals won’t survive unless someone puts a price on them.


The hunter, who belongs to Nevada, paid a hefty sum to hunt an Astor markhor or flare-horned markhor. The markhor, also known as the screw horn goat, is Pakistan’s national animal. The wild goat is an endangered species. Markhor is protected by the local and international laws like the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

“I had the opportunity to come here [Pakistan] because of the conservation efforts,” he said while speaking to SAMAA TV. “Many people talk about hunters in a negative way, but I put my money where my mouth is.” We have been very successful. “People here are wonderful and the hospitality is on the top,” he said.

He remarked that the conservation programme in an excellent thing. “I believe in the programme. It’s obviously been working for a number of years. I am just happy to be able to put back into it,” he added.

Anthony and Stacy Anderson from New Zealand came to Pakistan to hunt markhor. Anderson was unable to hunt the markhor despite firing thrice.

Although hunting the markhor is illegal in Pakistan, the government has introduced a scheme which makes the hunt legal. The scheme is known as trophy hunting.



A hunting trophy licence is issued after a proper auction by Peshawar’s wildlife department. The highest bidder is then given a permit to hunt one markhor.

According to the wildlife department spokesperson, the life of a markhor is between 10 and 12 years.

Annually, four hunting trophy licenses are issued for Markhor hunting and 80% of the money collected is distributed among the local community, whereas 20% is kept by the wildlife department.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/1...b-pays-1-05m-permit/


LINK HAS PHOTO.



Another American hunts Markhor in G-B, pays $105,000 for permit

By Shabbir MirPublished: January 22, 2019


GILGIT: As trophy hunting season continues in Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B), local communities are receiving more financial benefits in return for facilitating the legal hunt of the wild animals.

Last week, Dianda Christopher Anthony became the second American to hunt down the flare horned Markhor in the region. Anthony’s hunt came in return for $105,000, an amount he had paid to purchase a permit in October when permits for four-Markhor hunts were auctioned.

Of the amount paid by him, 80 per cent went to the community as a reward for conserving the wildlife.



The Himalayan goat that Anthony shot down had 48-inch long horns, which officials say are the longest ever. “To my knowledge it’s the biggest horn size of Markhor that’s hunted,” said Faizan Dukhi, an official in the wildlife department, who supervised the hunt.

Interestingly, the hunter shot the wild goat from a distance of 360-meters and with a single shot, Dukhi told The Express Tribune.

According to Mayoor Khan of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), the hunted Markhor was an exceptionally good size trophy, which will be a source of pride for the hunter. “Trophy hunting is also considered a form of ecotourism with low impact but high in value,” he added.

The Jutial conservancy, where the hunt took place, falls in the Hindu Kush mountain range and is home to several wildlife species, including snow leopard, Markhor, musk deer, ibex, and woolly flying squirrel.

The trophy hunting licence not only finances the Markhor conservation but also helps in the protection of the majestic snow leopard.

“This is certainly a unique setting in the world where one can get a Markhor trophy just a few kilometers away from a metropolitan city like Gilgit,” Anthony was quoted as saying.

He lauded the efforts put in by the Jutial community, district administration, G-B Parks and Wildlife Department, and WCS-Pakistan for the conservation of Markhor, the national animal of Pakistan.

Earlier this month, John Amistoso hunted a Markhor, becoming the first hunter of the season to hunt down the Himalayan goat.