A Russian national, Alexey Kim, has set a new record in the history of Kashmir Markhor trophy hunting by taking down a 14-year-old Markhor with 55-inch-long horns in the Singoor Doke area, which borders the Chitral Gol National Park (CGNP).
According to Rizwanullah Yousufzai, Divisional Forest Officer of CGNP Wildlife Division, this hunt is remarkable both for the age and the horn size of the Markhor, surpassing the previous record of a 10-year-old animal with 53-inch horns.
He highlighted that the successful conservation strategy, which actively involves local communities, has significantly increased the population of Kashmir Markhor. Once considered endangered, the species now thrives in healthy numbers, making it easier for hunters to find trophy specimens of the desired size and age.
This was the fourth and final trophy hunt of the season, for which Alexey Kim paid $71,000 (Rs19.862 million). The hunt was conducted with the assistance of local community members and CGNP field staff.
Trophy hunting programs in the region are designed to support conservation efforts, with a significant portion of the funds directed toward local community development and wildlife protection initiatives.
