Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has raised approximately Rs335.6 million from four markhor hunting permits, setting a new revenue record for the province’s regulated trophy-hunting programme. The permits were auctioned for a combined $1.21 million, covering conservation areas in Chitral and Kohistan.
The highest offer came for the Toshi-II permit in Chitral, which fetched $335,600, equivalent to around Rs93 million. Toshi-I attracted a bid of $320,600, while the Kaigah Khwar and Gahirat Gol permits sold for $295,600 and $260,000, respectively.
The programme operates through a revenue-sharing model designed to give communities living near markhor habitats a direct financial stake in protecting the species. Eighty per cent of the proceeds will go towards local welfare and wildlife conservation, while the remaining 20 per cent will enter the provincial government’s treasury.
This arrangement can help channel money into community needs while supporting the protection of natural habitats. When residents benefit from conservation, preserving wildlife can become an important source of local economic value rather than simply a responsibility.
The markhor, Pakistan’s national animal, is known for its striking spiral-shaped horns and its habitat in the country’s mountainous regions. Protecting the species is important not only for biodiversity but also for preserving Pakistan’s natural heritage.
Under regulated trophy hunting, a limited number of permits are issued under controlled conditions. Pakistan’s conservation model aims to combine restricted hunting with habitat protection and financial incentives for communities living close to wildlife populations.
The latest auction demonstrates how conservation programmes can generate substantial revenue.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has raised approximately Rs335.6 million from four markhor hunting permits, setting a new revenue record for the province’s regulated trophy-hunting programme.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has raised approximately Rs335.6 million from four markhor hunting permits, setting a new revenue record for the province’s regulated trophy-hunting programme. The permits were auctioned for a combined $1.21 million, covering conservation areas in Chitral and Kohistan.
The highest offer came for the Toshi-II permit in Chitral, which fetched $335,600, equivalent to around Rs93 million. Toshi-I attracted a bid of $320,600, while the Kaigah Khwar and Gahirat Gol permits sold for $295,600 and $260,000, respectively.
The programme operates through a revenue-sharing model designed to give communities living near markhor habitats a direct financial stake in protecting the species. Eighty per cent of the proceeds will go towards local welfare and wildlife conservation, while the remaining 20 per cent will enter the provincial government’s treasury.
This arrangement can help channel money into community needs while supporting the protection of natural habitats. When residents benefit from conservation, preserving wildlife can become an important source of local economic value rather than simply a responsibility.
The markhor, Pakistan’s national animal, is known for its striking spiral-shaped horns and its habitat in the country’s mountainous regions. Protecting the species is important not only for biodiversity but also for preserving Pakistan’s natural heritage.
Under regulated trophy hunting, a limited number of permits are issued under controlled conditions. Pakistan’s conservation model aims to combine restricted hunting with habitat protection and financial incentives for communities living close to wildlife populations.
The latest auction demonstrates how conservation programmes can generate substantial revenue.
