The highest bid in the history of Gilgit Baltistan was made for the hunting of Astor Markhor. A bid of 3 Cr 71 lakh and 86 thousand rupees was made for the hunting of Markhor this year in Gilgit Baltistan.
Trophy hunting of Markhor is allowed in Gilgit Blatistan under the act of 1985. However, the hunters have to abide by the rules and regulations of Baltistan Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation, and Management).
Only four permits for each species of Astor Markhor are sold out to the licensed outfitters in Pakistan every year. The permits are sold out in open auctions and are granted to the highest bidders. Local, domestic and foreign outfitters participate in the trophy hunting license auction in Gilgit Baltistan.
85 percent of the income from hunting is given to the community adjacent to the hunting site. Whereas, 15 percent is collected in the national treasury of Pakistan.
Markhor is a wild goat species commonly found in Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. In Pakistan, it is only present in small isolated areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Baluchistan and Dera Ghazi Khan. Because of its ability to endure the mountainous region and its grand appearance, the Markhor was declared as the national animal of Pakistan.