This year's successful hunting auction in Kirthar National Park which is rich in wildlife has been held, reported on Monday. In the hunting auction, 5 ibex and 15 Urial (wild goats) will be allowed to be hunted through which Rs86.35 million will be raised. “In this hunting auction, 5 ibex and 15 Urials will be allowed to be hunted,” said Deputy Conservator Wajid Sheikh in Hyderabad. He said that the Pakistani hunters would be able to hunt 5 ibex and foreign hunters would be able to hunt 15 Urials till March 3. He informed that the bidding for ibex hunting for Pakistani hunters started from Rs400,000 per animal and ended at Rs 5.5 lakh.

For foreigners, the price of a Urial is $20,000 which is equal to PKR5.75 million. “More than Rs86.35 million will be raised through the auctioning,” the wildlife deputy conservator said adding that 80% of the amount would be given to Kohistan Conservation Community while 20% of proceeds would go to the Sindh government. Wajid Sheikh said that the Hothians and Harris Mountains have been declared hunting points for hunting. The Kohistan Conservation Community will be bound to spend 20 to 25 percent from the proceeds of the auction on the salaries of the community's employees and the rest on the marriage of poor girls in the area and development works, Wajid Sheikh said.

 Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)