A renowned American hunter, Ronald Joviten, has made history by securing the highest bid ever recorded for a markhor hunting permit.
Ronald Joviten paid an unprecedented $271,000 to hunt the national animal of Pakistan, the first of the season.
Farooq Nabi, Divisional Forest Officer Wildlife Chitral, revealed that Joviten won the permit in October and successfully hunted an 11-year-old markhor on December 8.
The hunt took place in the Tooshi Shasha Conservancy under wildlife officials’ supervision. The trophy, marked by horns measuring an impressive 49.5 inches, was a significant achievement.
According to the details, the Wildlife Department issued four permits this year, two of which fetched the remarkable price of $271,000 each.
Wildlife authorities emphasized that 80% of the revenue from trophy hunting directly benefits local communities, with the remainder allocated for wildlife conservation and community development projects.
Pakistan introduced trophy hunting in 1999 to combat illegal poaching, following a 1997 Zimbabwe conference that granted the country the authority to issue permits.
Initially capped at six trophies annually, the quota now allows up to twelve.
Last year, another American hunter obtained a permit for $105,000 to hunt a Kashmir markhor, with the trophy’s horns measuring 45 inches.
