The Markhor, Pakistan’s national animal, faced a critical decline in 1994, prompting the intervention of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which designated it as an endangered species.
Subsequent conservation efforts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including the implementation of hunting licenses and strict supervision, have played a pivotal role in reversing this trend.
Over the past 38 years, wildlife department data highlights a remarkable surge in the Markhor population in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, escalating from 961 to over 5,600.
This positive trajectory extends beyond Chitral, encompassing notable increases in Swat and Kohistan as well.
As of 2019, the Markhor population had reached 5,000, with wildlife officials attributing this success to the effective prohibition of illegal hunting, rigorous monitoring practices, and the judicious issuance of hunting licenses.
These conservation measures, implemented over the past two years, have significantly contributed to the resurgence of the Markhor population in the region.
