Pakistan has conducted its first-ever goral trophy hunt under a community-based conservation programme, with the permit auctioned for about $55,000 in the remote Torghar district of Hazara Division, wildlife officials said on Thursday.

Wildlife Conservator Iftikhar Zaman said a US national, Darren James Mullin, secured the goral hunting trophy after bidding $55,000, marking the first instance in the country’s history where a foreign hunter has taken part in a regulated goral hunt.

According to the conservator, the hunt was organised under a community-based model aimed at linking conservation with local economic benefits.

Under the scheme, 80% of the revenue generated from the hunt will be spent on development projects for local communities in Torghar.

Zaman said the goral population is found in significant numbers across parts of Hazara Division, adding that controlled and regulated hunting can help incentivise conservation while supporting livelihoods in remote areas.

Officials said the initiative was designed to promote sustainable wildlife management, attract international interest in regulated trophy hunting, and ensure that local communities remain key stakeholders in conservation efforts.