Nov 6, 2020 | Archive, News
A legal market in rhino horn continues to be stubbornly opposed by the South African Government, CITES, the animal rights movement and well-meaning but misguided people all around the world. But demand for rhino horns continues unabated, and the people who want this product have plenty of money. In the absence of a legal market, the horns are simply obtained illegally. And because money is involved, those tasked with protecting the rhino are sometimes themselves sufficiently corrupted to get involved in the illegal trade.
Such betrayal of trust by those who are employed to protect these magnificent creatures is the most nauseating behaviour imaginable on the part of the perpetrators. In September 2020 three SANParks employees were apprehended for rhino poaching in the Kruger National Park (KNP) on the eve of World Rhino Day. Two were caught in the act of dehorning the animal they had just killed. The third suspect is none other than the section ranger of Lower Sabie, who allegedly supplied his two accomplices with the rifle they had used to slaughter the animal. This was reported by Nicolene Smalman in The Lowvelder newspaper.
These fortuitous arrests happened because police and SANParks officials were in the right place at the right time. They were busy with routine operations in the park – visiting old poaching scenes in the Lower Sabie area – collecting DNA and other evidence, when they heard two shots being fired. They immediately went to investigate and made a gruesome discovery. A field guide and the gardener of the section ranger were allegedly busy dehorning a white rhino when the officials stumbled upon them.
They were immediately arrested and a hunting rifle, ammunition, vehicle and poaching equipment were seized. It later emerged that the rifle (a .458 calibre) apparently belonged to the section ranger, who was also arrested. The men were detained in the holding cells at Skukuza Police Station.
Mr Abe Sibiya, acting CEO of SANParks, congratulated the officials who effected the arrests “These send a strong message that officials alleged to be involved in poaching will be arrested and face the full might of the law,” he said. “It is unfortunate that those trusted with the well-being of these animals are alleged to have become the destroyers of the same heritage they have a mandate to protect.”
Even more concerning is that this betrayal of trust seems to extend to members of the South African Police Service (SAPS). Legal Brief Environmental of 4 November 2020 published the following report:
“A Mpumalanga police constable with links to a syndicate allegedly behind ‘massive trafficking’ of poached rhino horns was arrested last week. A News24 report notes that six other suspects, mostly current and former police officers, were arrested in Mpumalanga two days previously. Phenias Lubisi, a former station commander in Skukuza now working at Calcutta; Xolani Lubisi, a former officer at Calcutta; Constable Thembisile Mhlanga, from Skukuza SAPS; Clyde Mnisi, the alleged ‘right hand man’; Petrus Mabuza Mshengu, and former White River SAPS officer Joe Nyalunga, appeared in the White River Magistrate’s Court on charges of theft, conspiracy, illegal buying and selling of rhino horns, corruption and money laundering. The case was postponed.
“The officer arrested last, who works at the Acornhoek Stock Theft Unit, was expected to appear in the Hazyview Magistrate’s Court later in the day. She will face similar charges as her co-accused, Hawks spokesperson Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi said. Luxury vehicles, motorbikes, trucks, trailers, generators and equipment worth millions of Rands were seized during the multi-agency swoop. It is alleged that the syndicate operated with almost military precision around the Kruger National Park (KNP), as well as in private and state-owned reserves in KZN and Gauteng. Mulaudzi alleged: ‘These are the guys who organised the snipers. These are the guys who were making millions.’”
When park officials and police officers are themselves involved in the illegal trade in rhino horns, it seems clear that the efforts to prevent the extinction of these beleaguered animals are being completely undermined from within. When will we realise that this war is being lost, and that we need to implement a different strategy? When all the rhinos have been killed? Surely there must be another way to prevent this from happening!
Dr John Ledger is a past Director of the Endangered Wildlife Trust, now a consultant, writer and teacher on the environment, energy and wildlife; he is a columnist for the African Hunting Gazette. He lives in Johannesburg, South Africa.
John.Ledger@wol.co.za
Oct 12, 2020 | News
If ever there was a product fairly and squarely prepared for whoever hunts and loves Africa, it would be the AHG. It’s there to promote Africa and her hunting. We also promote outfitters, the people who offer and try to provide the very best hunting experiences for their clients, asking them to encourage their clients to contribute stories of their hunts for everyone’s interest and enjoyment.
To read more, click here.
Oct 9, 2020 | News
Q: When and where were you born?
A: I was born in Port Elizabeth in 1967. Grew up on a farm in the nearby Paterson area.
Q: How did you get into hunting – what was it that influenced you?
A: My father was not a hunter, however both my grandfathers were and their stories started my interest in hunting. Although I shot my first buck at six years old, I never had much opportunity as a kid for anything besides real small game like birds, rabbits and duiker. At boarding school I met friends who enjoyed hunting and had game farms and this is where it really started. I was already married and dairy farming when one of my buddies suggested we do the PH course for fun, and so we did. To keep our licenses we had to do a hunt per year and it grew from there.
Q: With whom did you train, apprentice and learn from?
A: I did my PH course with Belmont Hunting Academy in 1996; at the same time I started doing an on/off apprenticeship with a local PH. I was lucky enough to travel and hunt with him in SA, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia and Mozambique. I also encountered many other PHs during my career and if you are open to it you can learn something from everyone. Not always good, but bad lessons and “what not to do” can be as valuable as the good and “what to do” lessons.
Q: The early years of professional hunting – where were they?
A: Mostly in the Eastern Cape with occasional trips to Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
Q: What were some of the more embarrassing, fun and interesting experiences?
A: Well, if you do this for any length of time you are bound to make mistakes, and they will usually come just as you start getting confident or over-confident. I think they are there to keep one humble. I remember the one occasion the client and I were laying in the grass watching a Hartebeest bull walking toward us. He disappeared into a very small ravine, actually just a small depression, I put my binos down and told him that when it comes out our side he should go ahead and shoot it. Well of course no client ever misses these shots, so when “it” appeared he shot it and it dropped in its tracks. We were celebrating while walking over only to find when we got there that it was a female. Lesson learned, always, always look again.
Q: Anything you leant about what not to do?
A: Do not ever become too blasé especially when hunting dangerous game. Also never think that you know it all, everyone has something they can teach you.
Q: Which countries/areas have you hunted since then?
A: Mostly Mozambique and other than a few hunts in SA each year, almost exclusively there now. I have also hunted Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia and Cameroon.
Q: What were some of the interesting things that happened there?
A: I must say that something interesting happens almost daily in our camp in Mozambique, from chasing lions and elephants out of the local villages to rescuing our livestock from pythons.
Q: Where do you currently hunt and what makes your area and your hunts special?
A: I currently hunt most often in Mozambique, known for some really good crocodiles. I think that most of the true wilderness areas that are left in Africa are special and should be cherished and experienced before they all disappear.
Q: Client hunts, experiences and memories – was there a most annoying, funny, etc., experience?
A: I and another PH once hunted with a client who wanted a buffalo. We would get him up and moving every morning way before sunrise so that we could be where we wanted to be before the sun came up. He complained bitterly about it and kept telling us that we should only be hunting from around nine. We told him that the buffalo would be long gone by then. Well we just were not having much luck and the client had all but given up and wanted to just rest and take it easy on his last day. We however told him that we would be there ready and waiting for him if and when he decided to hunt. So around 08:30 he comes out and says we should try. Well, what do you know, we walked straight into the buffalo and he killed a very good bull and proceeded to tell us’ “I told you so”.
Q: Interesting trophies – run through hunts of various trophies, where they took place, how the hunt went. Mistakes along the way. SNAFUs
A: In my opinion although there will always be some that stand out more than others, all hunts and all trophies are special and memorable. One must remember that the animal is giving up its life for us and that alone is memorable.
It’s been a long journey and there have been many mistakes along the way, both from my side and from the client’s, but this is how we learn.
I must say though that hunting elephant and following wounded buffalo in the thick jesse bush or the thick reed beds of the Zambezi and Luangwa rivers is always very interesting.
A pretty funny story, we were hunting buffalo in coastal Mozambique and coming home one afternoon on the Argo (amphibious vehicle) the client says to me, “I have something in my pants”, I asked him, “something like what?” A snake or lizard was his reply. I looked down and there was about 6 inches of green tail stilling out the bottom of his pants and he had hold of part if it near his knee, so I figured it was a snake. It was bright green so we figured it was either a grass snake or a green mamba. I told him that I would take the tail and on the count of three he should let it go and I will pull it free. Well, there was a timing issue and it slipped out of my hand and went higher up his pants. He now had hold of it very, very close to the groin area. I rolled his pants back and tried to convince him to try that process again. He was not interested in that idea so we cut his pants off around the snake and just as we were about to fling it into the grass it slipped away again and disappeared into the Argo. We pulled out the seats and floor boards looking for the damn snake but could not find it, so we put it all back and carried on toward home. About an hour later the snake pops its head up between the legs of one of the trackers. Well he did not hesitate but flung himself off the vehicle into the swamp and the snake calmly disappeared over the side and into the grass.
Q: Which is your favorite trophy animal to hunt? And why?
A: I really do love hunting buffalo as well as elephant. There is constant stimulation and a constant challenge while tracking and trying to outsmart them. With a lot of other animals there is a lot of downtime in blinds or travelling hours and hours to check baits.
Q: What is the best trophy animal one of your clients ever took?
A: I am certainly not one that rates the success of a hunt or the value of a trophy by were inches. It is about the whole experience, so it is about impossible to say which is the BEST trophy a client ever took.
Q: Tell us about two of your most memorable hunts – without naming names.
A: I accompanied a good client (friend) on a DIY hunt in the Cameroon. It was mostly a walk-in portered type hunt, where you carry all your gear and just hunt as you go. Although we did not get the eland, our main objective, I had a great time. Would do it again in a heartbeat.
One of the others that stands out in my mind is the first one that I did in the swamps of Mozambique, without any amphibious vehicles. It was very physically challenging but also very rewarding at the same time. My client on this hunt was very determined and in great shape. We walked into the swamps three days in a row to find his buffalo as he wanted a really good bull. On the way out we were all relaxed and making quite some noise. All the trackers were talking as they carried the meat out. We stumbled on two old Dagga Boys lying in the saw grass. Very often if it is just one they will charge first and ask questions later, luckily though there were two and it was almost as if time stood still while one was waiting for the other to decide. In the meantime we all took a step back, falling over in the knee-deep water full of elephant holes as we frantically tried to load our rifles. Lucky for us they decided to run off.
I have always been of the opinion that the harder your hunts are the more you treasure them. These are invariably the stories that you will tell the most often.
Q: Tell us about a disaster(s) of a client and what you had to deal with/endure.
A: Firstly, in this job it is imperative to be able to get along with people of all types, kind of like a social chameleon. Secondly, it’s all about managing expectations and that if they have been properly prepared you will find that there really are not that many “disaster” clients.
Having said all of that, we all still get the few that we just seem NOT to be able to please, no matter what we try. I had a client one time that started off the safari by telling me that I must remember that it is all about him and that he does not tip well. I’ll leave it up to your imagination how that safari went.
Q: What are your recommendations on guns, ammo, or equipment for hunting in your current camp(s)?
A: For dangerous game I would recommend that clients use the biggest calibre that they shoot WELL. This in my opinion usually means a .375 with a good scope of somewhere between 1 – 9 magnification. We hunt a lot of crocodiles and although shot placement needs to be precise, I do not like to shoot them in the brain as this destroys a big part of the trophy. I prefer a neck shot and the neck is heavy bone with a lot of blubber around it. I prefer a .375 on this shot too.
Q: Which guns and ammo are you using to back-up on dangerous or wounded game and tell us why?
A: I have carried a variety over the years, a .416 Rigby for a long time but for the past few years I have been using a Heym .500NE and I love it.
Q: What was your closest brush with death? If more than one – go for it and explain!
A: I’m not sure which was closer, a cow elephant charge or a hippo bull. Actually there have been a couple of brushes with hippo. However the one hippo stands out as it is pretty funny. My client (friend) had shot a hippo bull in shallow water but did not kill it, the bull moved off into some deeper water and was surfacing from time to time. We were on a boat and trying to get closer to finish it off. The client was shooting with a double 450/400 and could just not get a good steady shot with the movement of the boat. The bull turned to look at us and then disappeared under the water. I just got this feeling that I should do something, so I began unzipping my rifle bag and took my rifle, a .375 H&H, out. I had barely got it out and was still working the bolt over the side of the boat (sitting down, driving) when the bull surfaced at my right arm with his huge mouth open. I just stuck the rifle barrel into his mouth and pulled the trigger. Luckily it hit his spine and he was done.
Q: If you should suggest one thing to your hunting clients to improve their safari experience, with you, or with anyone else for that matter – what would it be?
A: Learn to roll with the punches that Africa dishes out, do not sweat the small stuff, it’s all part of the experience that is an African Safari.
Q: What would be your dream safari if you have one last safari to go on? (Asked as if you were hunting yourself)
A: Obviously it would all depend on how long the safari could be and how much cash I had, but a Lord Derby Eland is very high up on my list.
Oct 9, 2020 | News
Of all the issues that get people worked up into a frenzy of indignation, elephant trophy hunting is high on the list. When Botswana recently announced that it would be opening up elephant hunting after years of the activity being banned, animals-rights activists and the media were quick to respond with highly emotive headlines condemning this as something quite outrageous. But wildlife biological scientists, who one would expect to be detached and objective about such matters, have themselves proven to be fallible to emotive and biased viewpoints.
In a fascinating new article by Gail Thomson, first published here: http://conservationnamibia.com/blog/b2020-elephant-balancing-act.php the author looks at the work of scientists on the biology of elephants in Botswana. Their observations are that old males who have left behind their genetic legacy are less important in elephant society than the matriarchs.
Gail observes that there seems to be no reason why these old bulls should not be hunted. But the authors of the scientific study conclude that old bulls should be afforded the same level of protection as the matriarch, thereby contradicting their own findings.
At the same time, other research into how human societies in Botswana respond to the impact of elephants on their lives and livelihood has shown clearly that this dimension is equally worthy of consideration of the Botswana government, in trying to manage the elephant balancing act.
Human-elephant seesaw (copyright Gail Thomson)
I encourage you to read the original article by accessing the link above – there are some great photographs and lots of good sense. Here we offer a few extracts from a really thoughtful article.
“Elephants are amazing animals. Besides being the largest land animal on our planet, they have relatively complex societies and appear to have individual personalities. Watching elephants in their natural habitat is a joy for those of us who can do so at our leisure, from a safe distance or with a knowledgeable guide. For those who face the real danger of meeting an elephant on foot at night while walking home, elephants can be terrifying.
“It is no wonder that the idea of hunting elephants is a sensitive one, and that the people who spend much of their time observing these ponderous, loveable beasts want to do everything in their power to protect them. There is also little wonder that people living with elephants want them to be more controlled – to stay away from their crop fields and houses. Yet, as with many things, how you see an elephant is a matter of perspective and managing this species must take vastly different perspectives into account, along with the relevant science.”
Gail refers to a recent study by Allen et al. titled Importance of old bulls: leaders and followers in collective movements of all‑male groups in African savannah elephants published here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-70682-y.pdf.
“In terms of their function in elephant society, then, it is reasonable to say that older females (matriarchs or soon-to-be matriarchs) are more important than older males, although it is certainly not advisable to remove all older males from the population. The scientific evidence showing that older male elephants have a role to play is important, and should certainly be incorporated in elephant management plans – no subpopulation of elephants should be left without mature elephant bulls.
“Yet Allen et al. do not stick to their scientific findings in the concluding remarks of their paper, as they state: ‘We argue mature bulls occupy a similar role in male elephant society as old female matriarchs in breeding herds and require equal protection” (emphasis mine). They further argue that the quota of 400 male elephants set by Botswana for 2020 “would not be sustainable”. With that, they stepped out of elephant biology and into the human realm of policy.
“While the results of good biological research such as those summarised above must be incorporated into animal management, the views of animal researchers must be considered alongside the views of other stakeholders. The conclusions regarding elephant hunting (but not the results or other conclusions based on their data) of Allen et al. are clearly personal views, and should be considered as such. Furthermore, biological science is not the only scientific discipline that should inform animal management policies.
“After reading the article by Allen et al. on male elephants near the Boteti River, I looked for an article on people living near the same river to get the other side of the story. Interestingly, both studies included one author (a different person in each one) from the non-governmental organisation Elephants for Africa, which is working to reduce human-elephant conflict in this area, and clearly understands both the elephant and human dimensions of this situation.
“The researchers wanted to know how the presence of elephants impacted the people living along the Boteti River. They went deeper than the usual tallying up of elephant damages (e.g. destroying crops or breaking fences) and also asked their 61 respondents about the impact of elephants on their personal security and freedom, physical and mental health, and relations with their families and the government.
“They found that 72% of their respondents felt unsafe around elephants and that the presence of the elephants limited their freedom of movement, especially at night. Even more worryingly, 90% reported that the damages caused by elephants to crops threatened their food security. Food is expensive in Botswana relative to the earning power of rural people, so not having a good yield from their crops means that these subsistence farmers may not have enough to eat, as their sources of cash income are limited.
“Nearly two-thirds (63%) of interviewees said that their access to water was hampered by the presence of elephants at the Boteti River. While limiting their access to food and water was a clear physical health concern, a quarter of the interviewees also reported an intense fear of elephants – thus affecting their mental health.
“I hope we can all agree that no one wants human-wildlife conflict to escalate to the point of no return. If so, some compromises between the different human-interest groups must be made. Within strictly protected National Parks, elephants and other animals should be allowed to continue their lives as unimpeded by human activities as possible (tourism can, and does, cause some issues but this should be minimised by managing the humans, rather than the animals). Outside the Parks, we need to be more flexible.
“The existence of wildlife in human farmlands relies directly on the level of tolerance farmers have for it. Our efforts should therefore focus on maximising tolerance, which is achieved primarily through listening carefully to the concerns raised by the people in question and genuinely making an effort to address these. As a rule of thumb, we should aim to reduce the costs people experience and increase the benefits they derive from the presence of wildlife.
“Achieving either or both of these goals may require the sacrifice of a few individual animals – e.g. killing or translocating particular individuals that habitually cause conflict (reducing the cost), or allowing a few older males to be hunted by foreigners and thereby generate income and meat for the affected community (increasing the benefit).
“Elephant behaviour and society are complicated things that will no doubt continue to attract the attention and fascination of many scientists. Yet understanding and mitigating human-elephant conflict is more complicated still. Countries that must find the delicate balance between the rights of their citizens and their responsibility for conserving biodiversity should be supported, particularly by providing sound scientific evidence on both the elephant and human dimensions of the problem.
“Scientific findings should not be used as a club to beat countries into making policy changes, and scientists must realise that their perspectives on elephants are not the only ones that matter. Constructive engagement between policymakers, affected communities and scientists cannot happen if we ignore each other’s perspectives and real concerns. While the international media is partly to blame for making a difficult situation worse, each party can choose to either stoke the fires of conflict or douse the flames by trying to understand the other side’s point of view. Perhaps the proverbial question should not be “how do you eat an elephant?” but “how do you see an elephant?”
Dr John Ledger is a past Director of the Endangered Wildlife Trust, now a consultant, writer and teacher on the environment, energy and wildlife; he is a columnist for the African Hunting Gazette. He lives in Johannesburg, South Africa. John.Ledger@wol.co.za
Oct 7, 2020 | News
Contact: (Owner/Manager) Steve Collett
Address: 15 Josiah Chinamano Road, Belmont, Bulawayo Zimbabwe
Tel Office: +263 29 2885 868 or +263 29 2885 349
Mobile: +263 712 220 966 or +27 648459117
Email: stevecwa14@gmail.com
Website: collettswildlifeartistry.com
Tell us a little about your operation
How it started and how we got into the industry…
It all happened by chance when I was offered an opportunity to travel to the Unites States after school to learn the art of Taxidermy due to my artistic ability. This was not a career I had in mind to follow, none the less I was interested in the experience. In early 1998 I started that journey. I continued with this for a year but then took a break from the industry from 2000 to 2002, but it was during this time that I decided this is what I wanted to do and continued my training until 2003 when I started my own shop in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.
By 2017 I had enough of a reputation to start a second shop in Pretoria and here we are growing our second venture.
How many years have you been in the business?
We have now been in business for 18 years.
What are your favourite mounts & why?
Besides the big cats such as leopard and lion, which we did not have unlimited opportunity with, I would have to say that buffalo are my favourite. They are incredible animals with character that supersedes all others. There are not two that looks alike therefore we are forced to custom every mount.
What are your specialty areas that you have in the business?
We are a custom taxidermy studio where we take standard forms and create custom pieces where no two pieces are alike. From full taxidermy to an array of bespoke leather products and skull art, all from in-house. The passion we put into our artistry is beyond any commercial standard and make us different to of our competitors.
Current processes offered
- Pick up & collect trophies: Yes
- Maximum distance offered to collect trophies: We will collect nationwide if necessary
- Own tanning facilities: Yes
- Do you buy in forms or sculpt your own or both? Sculpt our own
Delivery time (approximate)
- Dip and Pack: 3 to 4 months
- European mounts: local: 6-8 weeks; international: 3 months
- Shoulder mounts: large international: 14-16 months; small international: 9-12 months; large local: 12-14 months; small local: 6-9 months
- Full mounts: same timelines as the shoulder mounts
Trophy gallery
Oct 6, 2020 | News
In the early eighties, the history of the Khomas Hochland Conservancy began. The Conservancy was founded to get neighboring farmers together and to reintroduce game species into the area. It was an important step to get the farmers together to combine the interests of game and cattle farmers.
The Khomas Hochland Conservancy is situated about 50 km west of Windhoek. The C28 to Swakopmund marks the southern border and the D1958 bordering the northeast. The highest point in the area is the 2,044 metre-high Khomaskop. Several rivers cross the area which makes the Khomas Hochland a real paradise for several game species. In particular, kudu bulls roam the area, as well as gemsbok, red hartebeest, mountain zebras, springbok, warthog, steenbok, and black and blue wildebeest.
The combination of wide open plains and mountains with heights from 1,230 metres to 2,044 metres makes the area the perfect destination for hunters who are dreaming of hunting the African bush.
Since the Khomas Hochland Conservancy was founded, more and more farms joined the community. In the beginning, the Conservancy area was 75,000 hectares. Today the area has increased to 175,000 hectares which is about half the size of the Yosemite National Park, with an estimated 25,000 game animals.
Working together in a community like the Conservancy makes it possible to develop the area and to take care of the wildlife and the local people. The aim is to manage and to improve the game population, and to hunt sustainably for a healthy game population in the whole area and for future generations.
To learn more about Philip, check out his Q&A: On safari with… Philip Hennings
