Hunting guides want to fly overseas clients into Mt Cook National Park to shoot Himalayan thar that they say are worth about $1 million.
Hunting and Fishing master guide Phil Wilson said the park had between 50 and 100 bull thar.
Trophy fees, aircraft rental, guides' pay, and taxidermy charges would work out to more than $10,000 for each animal killed, giving the herd a total value of up to $1 million.
But the Department of Conservation plans to spend thousands of dollars erradicating the animals under a plan to empty the park of thar.
Mr Wilson said DoC should move the thar or have the park open for helicopter safari hunting.
Hunters have just finished culling thar from several spots outside the park, under an agreement with the department.
The hunters reached the agreement after complaining that DoC had culled 128 bull thar last season.
This year, the hunters culled only female and young thar, leaving the valuable bulls for trophy hunters.
Mr Wilson said conservationists were pressuring the department to get rid of thar altogether.
Such a move would be a big loss to New Zealand in tourism dollars and jobs.
Thar were now so scarce that landowners were catching them live and releasing them on their properties so they could charge overseas hunters trophy fees.
Department spokesman Steve Addison said culling by the thar hunters would be audited and a decision made on whether further culling by the department was needed.
- NZPA
Thar worth gold, say hunt guides
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