By Zahiruddin
CHITRAL: A Canadian hunter Brain Adam Hauck hunted down a nine-year old male kashmir markhor in Gahirait conservancy whose horn measured 39 inches for which he had obtained permit from the wildlife department paying Rs. 11 million rupees.
Sub-divisional officer of Wildlife department, Altaf Ali Shah told Chitral Times that the huntsman had to wait for a day in Gahirat village as the highland making the habitat of markhor was enveloped by fog and snowfall while he did not face any trouble in locating and making choice of the trophy sized animal when the weather was clear.
“At Panji area of Gahirait Gol, he chose an animal out of a herd and started approaching his target and fired a shot at it with his sniper typed rifle from a distant range of 515 meters leaving it dead instantly”, he said.
“The joy of the hunter knew no bound on his successful hunting and termed it a unique experience while he stayed with the local community that night before leaving to Peshawar”, he said.
He recalled that in 2013, a Russian hunter had hunted a 38-inches long markhor in Gahirait-Golen conservancy which was known for its high density of kashmir markhor and ibex.
Mr. Shah said that 80 percent of the permit fee goes to the local community which they utilized for their collective development through their village conservation committee whose office-bearers are elected by themselves.
He said that the population of markhor has reached a satisfactory level due to the involvement of local communities in the conservation work during the last three decades before that it was declared to be one of the endangered species.
He said that the community members guarded the wild animals in the conservancy and no one dared to poach them as they know that poaching of a markhor means the loss of 10 million rupees.
