A rare sheep found in Central Asia is under threat from over-hunting.
Rick Herscher, owner and operator of Alaska Hunting Safaris in Anchorage, AK, describes hunting for the Marco Polo sheep as an adventure and joyful experience. The company runs hunts in the Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan for a fee of US$35,000 and Herscher said in a telephone conversation that authorities in Central Asian states can be notoriously corrupt where the issuing of a license for hunting can be a gold mine.
Ovis ammon polii numbers about 10,000 individuals and is apparently much prized by European and American trophy hunters. It is found in the Khunjerab National Park. It was described by Marco Polo, after whom it is named, and is a subspecies of the argali. It’s separate from the main line domesticated sheep evolution, but still.