Explained: Pakistan’s Markhor trophy hunt breaks global record

Dubai: Pakistan has once again captured the attention of the international hunting world: a single permit to hunt the elusive Astore markhor in Gilgit-Baltistan has been auctioned for $370,000, the highest fee ever paid for a hunting license anywhere in the world.

The permit was awarded at the annual trophy hunting auction organised by the Gilgit-Baltistan Wildlife and Parks Department this week/

The auction, held at the Forest, Parks, and Wildlife Complex in Gilgit, offered permits for 118 animals for the 2025—26 season, including four Astore markhors, 100 Himalayan ibexes, and 14 blue sheep. The top bid for the markhor, placed by Shikar Safaris owner Raja Farhad Maqpoon for hunting in the Nanga Parbat Conservancy, shattered last year’s national record of $271,000 set in Chitral.

Other permits for Astore markhor sold for $286,000, $270,000, and $240,000, while the highest bids for blue sheep and Himalayan ibex reached $40,000 and $13,000 respectively.

“This is a landmark moment as we received the highest hunting permit bid ever in Pakistan’s history and for markhor worldwide,” said GB Conservator for Parks and Wildlife Khadim Abbas.

For this season, the government raised the base price of an Astore markhor permit to $200,000 from last year’s $150,000. Blue sheep and Himalayan ibex permits also saw sharp increases, now starting at $30,000 and $10,000 respectively.

Launched in 1990, the community-based trophy hunting program in Gilgit-Baltistan region has become one of Pakistan’s most recognised conservation initiatives. The scheme allocates around 80 per cent of permit revenues directly to local communities, funding schools, clinics, and conservation projects, while 20 per cent goes to the government.

This financial incentive has transformed the markhor from a target of poaching into a valuable community asset. Once critically endangered, the national animal of Pakistan has made a strong comeback. The markhor population, now over 5,000 nationwide, has rebounded so significantly that the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) downlisted it from “endangered” to “near threatened” in 2015.

Markhor hunting is regarded as one of the world’s most prestigious and challenging mountain hunts. The animal’s spiralled horns, which can reach up to 160 centimetres, are among the most coveted trophies in international hunting.

Pakistan is home to five subspecies including: Astore, Kashmir, Kabul, Suleiman, and Bukharan markhor. They are found in the high-altitude ranges of Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan.

The markhor hunting season runs from November to mid-April, with December being peak rutting season when males are most active. Hunters, mostly from the United States, Europe, and the Middle East, pay six-figure sums not only for the trophy but also for the experience of hunting in some of the world’s most rugged and breathtaking landscapes.

With the new record, Pakistan has further cemented its place as a premier destination for trophy hunters. Yet, conservationists stress that sustainability must remain central to the program. By restricting hunting to old, non-breeding males and maintaining strict quotas, officials argue that trophy hunting helps protect rather than endanger the species.

For local mountain communities, however, the impact goes beyond conservation. “A single markhor permit can bring more money to a village than years of farming,” said a local community representative. “That’s why we protect them now. the markhor has become our pride and our livelihood.”