Man sent to prison for illegally hunting rare Markhor

In a recent legal development, a resident of Sakwar locality named Akbar Hussain has been handed a two-year prison sentence and fined Rs. 61.5 million for the illegal hunting of an Astore markhor, a rare and protected wild goat species, within the region of Gilgit.

The illicit activity came to light when wildlife authorities apprehended Hussain on Sunday night in Jutial Nala, discovering both the markhor meat and the hunting weapon in his possession. Confessing his wrongdoing, Hussain faced the court of Wildlife Magistrate Muhammad Isa on Monday.

The court decreed a fine amounting to the markhor’s value, totaling Rs. 61.5 million, along with an additional penalty of Rs. 10,000. Failure to remit the fine would result in an additional two years of imprisonment, as stipulated by the court.

Under local and international legislation, such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), the markhor is a protected species. While regulated hunting is permitted under specific conditions, this incident falls outside the bounds of legal hunting practices.

The Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) Forest, Parks, and Wildlife Department conducts controlled trophy hunting programs annually, covering rare species like the Astore markhor, blue sheep, and the Himalayan ibex. The recent auction for the 2023-24 season saw four licenses for hunting Astore markhor, fetching considerable sums, with one license notably reaching a record $186,000.

Notably, the auction encompassed permits for 104 rare species distributed across various community conservation areas in G-B. The first trophy hunting of the Astore markhor for the current season was documented on December 2 when a Belgian hunter successfully secured a 40-inch trophy for $177,000 in the Astore district.

Since its initiation in the 1980s, the trophy hunting program operates under CITES guidelines and is restricted to designated areas in G-B. The collaborative effort involves local communities, who receive 80% of the hunting fees, while the government allocates the remaining 20% for forest preservation and biodiversity conservation.