Asadullah Bazai, a former Pakistan national shooting champion and veteran hunter, is on a mission to save the country’s rare Sulaiman markhor (a square-horned goat), which was once near extinction due to large-scale hunting and poaching.
Bazai, 55, and his team have dedicated a lot of time and money to conserving rare species in Balochistan.
The Sulaiman markhor is a subspecies of the markhor, the national animal of Pakistan, and is endemic to Asia.
In Balochistan, the mountainous regions of Torghar and Takatu are the two major habitats of the animal, but it is found in small numbers in the mountains and forests of Ziarat, Sherani and Zhob districts.
Bazai, a father of five who has represented Pakistan in several international shooting competitions, gave up hunting and began working to save the Suleiman markhor in 2002.
His team, made up of several former amateur hunters and wildlife photographers, operates in the Takatu mountain range, which stretches more than 150 kilometres northeast of Quetta.
In 2002, Bazai met some Hungarian rifle shooters at a competition in Karachi, which changed his mind about hunting animals.
“That was a life-changing moment that transformed me from a hunter to a conservationist. One of them taught me not to shoot live animals with a rifle, but with a camera,” he said. Anadolu.
When he began his campaign in 2002, there were only a few dozen Suleiman’s markhors left in Takatu’s range.
According to Bazai and other wildlife experts, current estimates put the animal’s population at around 2,000, but a survey conducted by the Balochistan Wildlife Department in 2023 put the population in Takatu area at 1,400.
“We have engaged locals in the campaign to convince them not to kill the animals and to discourage hunters from doing so,” Bazai added.
“Stable” numbers
Compared to other species, the Suleiman’s Markhor lives in areas with a cleaner and drier climate, at altitudes between 2,290 and 2,745 metres.
Through concerted efforts over the years, including further community engagement and sustainable trophy hunting programs, the animal’s population has recovered to “stable” levels.
A long-term project launched in the 1980s by the Balochistan Forest Department in collaboration with tribal leader and wildlife enthusiast Mir Nasir Khan began to bear fruit in the early 2000s.
“When this project was launched, the total population of Sulaiman markhor was alarmingly low – just under 100,” said Quetta-based wildlife expert Tahir Rasheed. Anadolu.
“It was only thanks to the joint efforts of the forest department and tribal leaders that we were finally able to save the animal and its thousands from peril,” added Rasheed, a former World Wildlife Fund official and now head of Balochistan’s Rural Outreach Programme.
The last survey, which Rasheed himself took part in, ten years ago recorded the Sulaiman’s markhor population at more than 3,000.
Aruz Mohammad, a conservation officer with Balochistan’s Wildlife Department, said current estimates put the number at between 4,500 and 5,000.
talk AnadoluHe said that while international wildlife conservation organisations still classify the Sulaiman’s markhor as endangered, given the gradual and significant increase in its population over the years, it can now be categorised as “stable”.
Unlike other rare animals, the Suleiman’s markhor enjoys a diverse habitat across the vast state.
Along with Takatu, the Torghar mountain range, about 160 km from Quetta, forms the largest habitat of the animal and is home to 95 percent of the total population.
It is estimated that there are around 3,500 Suleiman markhors living in the Torgal Mountains.
The habitats are hundreds of kilometres apart, reducing the risk of transmission between the two populations if an infectious disease outbreak occurs, Rasheed said.
He said another factor that has contributed to the increase in the animal’s population over the years is the trophy hunting program.
For the 2023-2024 hunting season, the Balochistan government has issued a record-high hunting permit for Suleiman markhor at $245,000, one of the most expensive permits in the world.
A total of four licenses to hunt Suleiman markhor are issued each year.
The remaining three permits were issued for $220,000, $218,000 and $210,000, respectively, according to official documents.
The government is using the funds to support local communities through initiatives such as building schools, mosques and health centers, and providing scholarships to students.
About 80 percent of the revenue generated through the hunting license program, which began in the early 2000s, goes to local communities, with the rest going into the national treasury.
The threat still lurks
Pakistan is famous for its markhor, an agile, sure-footed animal with long winter fur and huge, spiralling horns that can grow to more than 1.5 metres in length in the males.
Locally, the goats are classified as Aster, Kashmir, Sulaiman and Chiltan Markhor.
Globally, the Aster markhor and Kashmir markhor are classified as flared horned, while the Suleiman markhor and Chilton markhor are classified as straight horned.
Despite a significant increase in its population, the Suleiman’s markhor remains endangered due to a number of threats.
“Climate change, increasing deforestation, illegal hunting and illegal wildlife trade are major challenges,” said Mayeen Khan, a wildlife expert and member of Bazai’s team.
talk AnadoluHe said illegal hunting and poaching of Suleiman markhor, including cubs, continued despite government and community efforts.
Khan, who is also a professional wildlife photographer, said young markhors sell for 100,000-200,000 rupees ($358-717), a price that has encouraged many locals to hunt the rare animals.
Local law prohibits hunting females or young markhors and carries a six-year prison sentence, a fine of up to 150,000 rupees ($538), or both.
But these laws are rarely enforced, and violators, many of whom are wealthy and influential, usually go unpunished.
“Firstly, we need to make the penalties for illegal hunting much tougher and ensure that they are fully enforced for all,” Khan stressed.
