Spanish Hunter, Carlo Pasc,o has payed $83,500 to hunt the Himalayan endangered goat, Markhor. The screw-horned animal is found in the upper regions of the Himalayas. Wildlife department, every year auction hunting permits to allow the hunt of limited number of Markhors.
This is the third kill of the season, as the permits were auctioned by Gilgit-Baltistan Wildlife department for $83,500. Every season, limited number of permits are offered for the auction.
The major share of the hunting fees spent on the local community and uplifting and conservation of the rare animal. The 20 percent is submitted to the national reserves. In 2018-2019 season permits were auctioned and sold for $110,000.
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The Markhor is the national animal of Pakistan. It lives at the heights of Himalayan region. The animal is the descendant of the Karakoram and Hindukush ranges. The wild goat is famous due to its huge screw shaped horns. The hunting of the animal is difficult due to its wild sense of living and sharp instincts.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List, in 2015, declared the wild animal near threatened. The wild life department have strict policies regarding the hunt of the rare goat.
The foreigners and hunters come from across the world to bid in an expensive auction during the season. The hunting of the Markhor is strictly prohibited without a permit. Earlier, the hunter from Italy made his first kill of the season in December.
