Norwegian pays $81,200 for Markhor hunting in Pakistan

by hussain | January 2, 2009 at 12:23 pm
1586 views | 12 Recommendations | 7 comments

Photos

Turkomen Markhor

Turkomen Markhor

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uploaded by John X

A Norwegian national, Oyvind Christensen, hunted a Kashmiri Markhor in Toshi area of Pakistan’s mountainous Chitral district after paying $81,200 for permit.

Kashmiri Markhor is usually one-and-a-half-metre tall, weighing at an average 100 kilograms, with its horns measuring about 47 inches. Chitral is known for Kashmiri Markhor and every year the authorities earn millions of rupees through hunting permits.

About 20 per cent of the amount was given to the Wildlife Department, 40 per cent to local community and 40 per cent to the conservation committee.

Commenting on his visit to the area, Christensen said Chitral was a peaceful area and its people were very cooperative.

According to Divisional Forest Officer (Wildlife) Imtiaz Hussain, Chitral was home to more than 2,000 Markhors and other animals like ibex, snow leopard and rare birds.

As per estimate of Al-Burkhan Village Conservation Committee General Secretary Shahzada Gul, currently there are about 3,000 Markhors in Chitral, but the Wildlife Department issues only three permits every year.


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Rachel Nixon

I'd never heard of a Markhor before now - they are extraordinary-looking animals, it seems.

Here's a link for more information about them (and a photo), as well as their endangered status.


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hussain

Rachel, thank you for link and photo. I am not sure but think its hunting is permitted to a very limited number of people every year in accordance with the relevant law after taking necessary steps to maintain a specific level of its population.

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Amy Judd

No one should be able to pay any amount of money to hunt an endangered animal. That is so wrong; I hate that.

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Patricia J Killen

This is an endangered species... How dare anyone take money for the slaughter of it!!!  The person with the gun, doing the hunting, needs to be staked to an ant hill covered in syrup!

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ѕhadowdancer

My photo is of one of the Markhors at the Columbus Zoo in Columbus, Ohio. I find them to be exceptionally beautiful animals. I don't understand how money could be accepted for allowing the killing of any endangered animal. Money talks, I guess, but it's despicable.

More information on the Markhor is on the photo's Flickr link.


ѕhadowdancer has contributed a photo to this story.

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Mike Selborne

Hi,

Dont you understand that the money go to secure the rest of the Markors in this area. With out a trophy fee hunt ther will be 0 Markor in this days. Also remeber that potching is wide in this region and with the money from sport hunting ther will be not any payment for sallerys for the rangers and park guards. THIS HELP THE POPULATION !!!!

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Paramjit Singh

The name 'Markhor' -- most websites list this as translating to 'Mar' = snake and 'Khor' = eating; most also acknowledge that there is no evidence found of the animal eating snakes. I believe this is an incorrect translation.

The correct form is 'Mar' = snake + 'Akhur' = horn; and it is easy to understand why.

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Rachel Nixon
First Flagged at 12:49 PM, Jan 2, 2009 by Rachel Nixon
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