James Walker Crawford from the US successfully hunted a 10-year-old Kashmir Markhor in the buffer zone of Chitral Gol National Park under Pakistan’s newly introduced non-exportable trophy hunting scheme.
The markhor had 41-inch horns, and Crawford obtained a hunting permit from the Wildlife Department for $52,000 (Rs. 14.53 million). He had previously attempted the hunt but missed.
Read more: American Hunter Pays $66,000 to Hunt Markhor in Chitral
The hunt was carried out with support from the Rumbur village conservation committee and Chitral Gol National Park officials, led by Divisional Forest Officer Rizwanullah.
Saleemuddin, Chairman of the Chitral Gol Community Development and Conservation Association, called the hunt a significant milestone. He credited community-led conservation efforts for the growing markhor population, making trophy hunting more sustainable.
He also urged the government to introduce exportable trophy hunting in the buffer zone next season, highlighting the increasing number of eligible markhors.
The trophy hunting program reinvests a portion of permit fees into conservation and community development, benefiting both local populations and wildlife preservation.
