| Capra falconeri falconeri |
Russian Асторский мархур; English Astore (Astor) Markhor; German Astore-Schraubenziege; French Markhor d’Astore; Spanish Marjor de Astore; Balti Rocho-ridakh; Baluchi Pachin, Sara (male) and Buzkuhi (female); Shina & Burushakshi Halden, Haldin (male) and Giri, Giri Halden (fem.) |
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| IUCN Red List |
Endangered C1+2a(i); Valdez 2008. Pakistan: Wildlife Protection Act: Schedule 3 |
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| CITES |
Appendix I |
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| USF&WS |
Not listed |
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| EU |
Annex A to Council Regulation (EC) No. 407/09 |
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| Distribution |
Pakistan (Gilgit-Baltistan) |
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| CIC Medal Categories |
Bronze |
Silver |
Gold |
| CIC Point Value |
360.00 – 389.99 (cm) |
390.00 – 419.99 (cm) |
420.00 + (cm) |
The Astore markhor is endemic to the Chilas, Gilgit, Skardu, and Astore regions of Gilgit-Baltistan. It occurs on both sides of the Indus River and its tributaries of the region with major strongholds between the slopes of the Nanga Parbat and the Rakaposhi-Haramosh Range. On the northern side of the Indus, Gakuch represents the limit of Astore markhor range along the Gilgit River, Chalt along the Hunza River, and on the southern bank of the Indus, the Parashing Valley along the Astore River.
Astore type horns are the most divergent and spectacular horns of all markhor; they flare widely just above the base and usually have no more than 1.5 open spiral twists, with the first turn usually very expansive. The widest spread of about 132.1 cm (52 in.) recorded in Rowland Ward comes from a specimen taken in Astore in 1891. Astore types show a mean spread of 92.4 cm (36 3/8 in.; smallest 44.5 cm/17 4/8 in.; largest. 132.1 cm/52 in.). Apart from the extremely narrow spread of one specimen, no spreads of less than 76.2 cm (30 in.) have been recorded. The quality of Astore markhor trophies declined substantially. Most of the 52 Astore markhor heads evaluated had been collected before 1925. Only 11 heads were registered after 1950. The mean horn length difference between historic heads prior to 1933 (n = 40) and those taken later than 1950 (n = 11) stands at 31.7 cm (12 4/8 in.). Since only a few of the trophies harvested under the present community trophy-hunting schemes have apparently been entered into the hunter recordings, we assume that the other heads did not make the minimums established almost a century ago. This confirms the significant reduction in trophy quality, probably caused through over-exploitation in the second half of the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries. A trophy exceeding 101.6 cm (40 in.) can be considered extraordinary today, compared to the longest-horned Astore markhor harvested in 1909 at 154.3 cm (60 6/8 in.) and the first 35 historic entries all measuring over 127.0 cm (50 in.).
The WWF-P Gilgit-Baltistan Conservation Project and the Mountain Areas Conservancy Project (MACP) have successfully implemented markhor conservation programs in Gilgit-Baltistan. Through cooperative efforts between stakeholders from provincial authorities and mountain village communities, markhor populations have increased and allow carefully designed trophy-hunting programs.
| Habitat Regions | Pakistan |
