'Record-breaking shot': Spanish hunter claims markhor trophy in northern Pakistan

Spanish hunter Cristian Pablo Abello Gamazo paid $220,000 to hunt Pakistan's national animal, the markhor, becoming on Sunday the second person this season to kill one of the rare wild goats in northern Pakistan's Chitral region.

Trophy hunters prize the markhor for its spectacular corkscrew horns, which can grow longer than 4 feet. Pakistan wildlife officials say 80% of permit fees go to local communities who protect the species from poaching, a program that has helped markhor numbers rebound from near extinction.

The hunter obtained the permit through Faisal Ayaz Arif's company at an open auction held in October 2023. While the permit itself cost $191,000, the total expense, including taxes, amounted to $220,000 (equivalent to over 61 million Pakistani rupees).

The hunt took place in the community-managed Gehrait Gol game reserve under wildlife officials' supervision. "Gamazo hunted markhor from a distance of 160 yards within five minutes with a single shot," Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Farooq Nabi told Nukta. "The horn size of the iconic trophy was recorded 41.5 inches."

Nabi called it a historic shot, as markhor hunting typically takes two to three days. He explained that while most hunting is done for meat, markhor hunting is a sport where hunters are primarily interested in the animal's horns and skin, which are displayed as trophies, rather than its meat.

On December 8, 2024, American hunter Ronald Joe Whitton harvested the season's first Kashmir markhor at the Tooshi Shasha Community-Managed Game Reserve in Chitral.

Hunters display a Kashmir markhor harvested by Ronald Joe Whitton, the season's first, at the Tooshi Shasha Community-Managed Game Reserve in Chitral on December 8, 2024. Chitral Wildlife Division / Facebook

According to the Chitral Wildlife Division, Whitton shot an 11-year-old Kashmir markhor with horns measuring 49.5 inches. "In October, Whitton made history by placing Pakistan's highest-ever bid of $271,000 (over Rs75 million) during an open auction to secure a hunting permit for the prized species," stated a Wildlife Division official.

Four permits for this season

Mohsin Farooque, Chief Conservator of the Wildlife Department Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, told Nukta that the government auctioned four exportable markhor hunting permits for this season.

"Permits for hunting in Chitral's Tooshi-I and Tooshi-II conservancies fetched $271,000, the permit for hunting in the Kaigah conservancy of Kohistan was sold for over $181,000, and the permit for hunting in the Gahiret Gol Chitral was auctioned for $190,000," he added.

The hunting season began on December 1, 2024, and will continue until April 10, 2025. According to the Wildlife Department, hunters typically prefer December and January because markhor, which usually inhabit altitudes of 8,000 to 11,000 feet, descend to lower elevations during the winter months, coinciding with the hunting season.

Population and conservation

The markhor, a wild goat species and Pakistan's national mammal, has an estimated population of 7,500, according to a 2022 study. "Over 5,000 of these are found in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, mainly in areas of Chitral, Kohistan, and Upper Swat," Mohsin Farooque stated.

Latifur Rehman, Wildlife Department spokesperson, highlighted the Trophy Hunting Program, introduced in the 1990s, as a pivotal initiative for wildlife conservation and community development.

He explained that 80% of the revenue generated is distributed among local communities, supporting both markhor protection from illegal hunting and regional development. "It has drawn international hunters to Pakistan's northern regions, while local residents play an active role in curbing poaching," he stated.

DFO Farooq Nabi explained that trophy hunting is specifically aimed at older animals, as this approach helps manage the population while generating funds for local community facilities.