2024
Since 1999
A RHINO PURSUIT
The Birth of a
Hunter
The heart’s hartebeest
THE LAST
SPRINGBOK
WHY HUNTING MATTERS Conservation Hunting in Namibia
CONTENTS FEATURES: WHY HUNTING MATTERS MY NEMESIS, MY MUSE - A RHINO PURSUIT - 14
THE BIRTH OF A HUNTER - 22
THE LAST SPRINGBOK - 28
THE HEART’S HARTEBEEST - 44
PATIENCE REWARDED: PERSEVERING ON A HUNT ON FOOT - 62
HUNTiNAMIBIA | 2024
1
COVER The springbok, with its graceful leaps and keen senses, presents a challenging pursuit for any hunter seeking the ultimate African safari experience.
CONTENTS CONTINUED 20 NAPHA AND THE AGE-RELATED TROPHY MEASURING SYSTEM: PRESERVING NAMIBIA'S WILDLIFE 26 5 WAYS IN WHICH HUNTING SUPPORTS CONSERVATION IN NAMIBIA 34 CONSERVATION IN PERIL: THE CONSEQUENCES OF WESTERN WORLD BANS ON TROPHY HUNTING IMPORTS 38 A TALE OF TWO ZEBRAS 51 I DREAM OF THE GREY GHOST OF THE NAMIBIAN BUSHVELD 52 CHASING THE ELAND 56 HUNTING FOR MEMORIES 60 THE COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVE ON THE IMPORTANCE OF HUNTING FOR CONSERVATION 66 RHINO HORNS: WORTHLESS COMMODITIES OR CONSERVATION CURRENCY? 72 BEING HUNTER, BEING HUMAN 74 AT THE NATURE AWARENESS PROJECT, AWARENESS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING
www.huntnamibia.com.na Read the latest and older issues of Huntinamibia online. Huntinamibia’s website also contains a wealth of information sourced over two decades. It is an archive of material which has appeared in the printed magazine since 1999.
PUBLISHER Venture Media PO Box 21593, Windhoek, Namibia www.huntnamibia.com.na www.thisisnamibia.com MANAGING EDITOR Elzanne McCulloch elzanne@venture.com.na
81 CONSERVATIONIST OF THE YEAR 83 NAPHA AWARDS
ADMINISTRATION Bonn Nortje bonn@venture.com.na
REGULAR FEATURES 3
EDITORIAL
LAYOUT & PRODUCTION Liza Lottering liza@venture.com.na
5
MESSAGE FROM THE MINISTER
6
MESSAGE FROM THE NAPHA PRESIDENT
8
HUNTING CONCESSIONS IN CONSERVANCIES HELD BY NAPHA MEMBERS
PRINTING John Meinert Printers (Pty) Ltd
Huntinamibia
Editorial material and opinions expressed in Huntinamibia do not necessarily reflect the views of Venture Media and we do not accept responsibility for the advertising content.
79 READER’S STORY: FROM CHANCE ENCOUNTER TO MAGNIFICENT SAFARI
is published annually by Venture Media in collaboration with the Namibia Professional Hunting Association (NAPHA) and with the support of the Namibian Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism.
10 GAME SPECIES Indigenous species and their natural distribution in Namibia
NAPHA INFORMATION 85 NAPHA REGISTER Hunting professionals registered with the Namibian Professional Hunting Association
MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR
Embracing the Spirit of the Hunt for Conservation and Tradition Dear Reader, I spent my childhood weekends running wild in a beautiful corner of the Namibian bushland. The bush is more than just a place to me: it's a feeling, a connection to the land that runs deep within my soul. I can still recall the sensation of a Swarthaak thorn catching on my jersey, the warmth of red sand between my toes. And then, there it is – the sight of a kudu cow, with her magnificent round ears and mesmerising long-lashed eyes, peering at me through the thicket. In an instant she disappears, darting off with her family, vanishing back into the wilderness. All that remains is the soft coo of a Mourning Dove perched in a shepherd's tree nearby. This wilderness, this sanctuary, is familiar to so many of us. For those of us in Namibia's hunting industry, it's not just a place. It's home. And what many fail to realise is that hunters are the most passionate and dedicated guardians of this home. If only the world, especially the global media, would take the time to understand and embrace the truth about hunting and conservation, they would see the vital role this industry plays in a country like Namibia. They would recognise the tremendous value it brings, not only socio-economically but also in terms of conservation. Jobs, livelihoods, food. Basic humanity as part of, not separate from, nature. In this year's edition of Huntinamibia, we once again aim to shed light on why hunting matters. Through passionate and poetic stories of tradition and contribution, we aim to unveil the importance of hunting in wildlife population management, the advancement of community interests, and the betterment of indigenous peoples. We delve into the significance of privately-held land, recognising its pivotal role in preserving our vast landscapes and biodiversity. Facts are stubborn things. They do not lie. And I am encouraged to see that no matter what the false global narrative, the hunting
community will not lie down. We, the conservationists, will continue to roam the Namibian wilderness, Swarthaak hooks in our clothing and red sand between our toes, standing tall alongside the incredible species that share this land with us. It is our life's purpose to protect our home, preserve our traditions and contribute to the future of this planet. In this issue you will find beautiful stories of the excitement, wonder and joy that accompanies a successful hunt, and how that success translates into the world around it. Danene takes us on a riveting trek through thick bush in search of a horned quarry. Kai-Uwe will break your heart and reignite your passion for wild places as he sets off on a last hunt in a once very special concession. Tales of hunting on some of the large private farms that are key puzzle pieces in Namibia’s total surface area under preservation. Communities that fight for their rights. As you read through this publication, I want you to know how deeply we appreciate your support. By dedicating your time to reading these stories that matter, you become a vital part of our community, a community committed to preserving the wild. Your contribution towards the conservation of our natural heritage is invaluable. So, let us embrace the spirit of the hunt, not as a ‘sport’, but as a driving force behind the protection and sustainability of our beloved Namibian wilderness. May the stories you find within these pages ignite a sense of awe and reverence for the remarkable creatures that call this land home. Happy hunting,
Elzanne McCulloch Editor
HUNTiNAMIBIA | 2024
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ABOUT VENTURE MEDIA Venture Media is the pioneer of Namibia tourism and conservation promotion. We are the leader in spreading extraordinary Namibian stories around the world. We distribute accurate, credible, up to date and regular information on paper, via social media, on the World Wide Web, and on mobile apps. We have reached hundreds of thousands over three decades. Be part of our community and let’s do it together.
TELL, GROW, SHARE YOUR STORY WITH US IN 2021
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or email us at info@venture.com.na for a curated proposal.
In 2021, we're focussing on telling and sharing STORIES THAT MATTER acro our various magazines and digital platforms. Join the journey and share you stories with audiences that understand and value why certain things matte
Why ethical business, conservation, tourism, people and communities matte
How these elements interrelate and how we can bring about change, contribute to the world and support each other. Whether for an entire natio an industry, a community, or even just an individual.
MESSAGE FROM THE MINISTER
THE VITAL ROLE OF ETHICAL HUNTING IN NAMIBIA'S CONSERVATION LEGACY Dear Friends and Fellow Conservationists, I am delighted to once again extend my warmest greetings to the avid hunters, wildlife enthusiasts, and conservationists who have gathered here within the pages of Huntinamibia magazine. Hunting in Namibia holds a unique place in our nation's heritage and in the hearts of many. It is an activity that not only allows us to connect with the stunning landscapes and diverse wildlife that make Namibia exceptional but also plays a crucial role in the intricate tapestry of conservation, sustainable land use, and rural livelihoods. Throughout our history, Namibians have displayed a remarkable commitment to the preservation of our natural treasures. The modern conservation paradigm that defines our nation today was born from a deep understanding of the inextricable link between hunting and conservation. It is a model of sustainable utilisation that serves as a beacon for others across the globe. But let us not forget that with this privilege comes great responsibility. As custodians of Namibia's natural heritage, it is incumbent upon us to adhere to the highest ethical standards of hunting. Conservation is not a passive endeavour; it is a continuous commitment to protecting and nurturing our ecosystems.
I urge each and every one of you, as passionate hunters and guardians of our natural world, to continue supporting our efforts to conserve and protect our wildlife and landscapes. It is through your commitment, your ethical hunting practices, and your dedication to the principles of fair chase that we ensure the continued success of Namibia's conservation model, despite foreign pressures that do not align with what we know to be true. I would like to express my appreciation to the hunting industry in Namibia. May our collective work as conservationists be a testament to the ongoing commitment of Namibia and its people to safeguarding our natural treasures for generations to come. Thank you, and may your hunting adventures in Namibia continue to be filled with awe, respect, and the spirit of conservation.
Pohamba Shifeta Minister of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism Republic of Namibia
Namibia's conservation success story is a testament to our ability to strike a delicate balance between conservation and sustainable use. Our wildlife populations are flourishing, thanks in no small part to the contributions of the hunting community. Together, we have funded critical conservation initiatives, empowered local communities, and provided incentives for the protection of our wildlife.
HUNTiNAMIBIA | 2024
5
Resilience in Namibia:
Adapting, Nurturing, and Thriving
D
uring a preparatory Executive Meeting for our AGM the theme Resilience immediately came to my mind. An easy but relevant subject, I thought. Easy to talk about because of the hardship that we as professional hunters and stakeholders in the tourism industry had to endure in the recent past: consecutive years of drought and declining game numbers, which took its toll in 2019, followed by the COVID pandemic causing a perfect storm. Easy to talk about as a Namibian who knows to adapt all the time to make a living from the Land of the Brave and provide for his family… but actually not quite so easy as there is no solution to fit all sizes. Resilience was indeed the theme of the 48th Annual General Meeting. It reminded me of something Albert Einstein said: “Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” Delving deeper into the meaning of the quote, and scrutinising the environment we are operating in, I realise that we can learn so much more from our wild animals and the bush – if we are just willing to look deep more often. There are, of course, no objections against the basic need of every Namibian for sufficient food, a roof over the head, a warm place to sleep, the right to a good education, perhaps also for a certain level of comfort. Objections are only levelled against our uncontrolled drive to consume unsustainably without considering the losses. There will have to be a change in thinking. Our morals, ethics and values will continuously be tested and subjected to great debate and
6
possible change. We are hopeful that some form of restriction on consumption, our sustainable use concepts and our conservation successes will increasingly become the topics of the future. We need every man, every woman from all corners of our beautiful country, each with their personal talent, to face an array of enormous internal challenges and shortcomings. This should be our priority! External global problems that are thrown at us and over which we have no control, only drain our limited resources. First of all, it is necessary to consider our most basic needs and desires. Then we must become aware of what we are capable of if we put the fundamental abilities and the enormous adaptability which lies in us as Namibians in the centre of our perception and our way of life. NAPHA and its members are optimistic that we can succeed in nurturing our potentials and making them usable for our future in the form of our survival and resilience strategies. One of the first steps must be to break the taboo. Our comfortable society naturally protects our self-confidence with a wall of taboos, as many other societies and political systems have done in the past. We have to dare ourselves and use every chance to think outside the box, open our horizons and find new solutions. Suitable competencies are now – just as they were back then – on or off the hunting ground. Life in today’s very specialised society also demands from us to adapt to given situations.
WWW.HUNTNAMIBIA.COM.NA
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF NAPHA
Membership in NAPHA and other communities of mutual interest allows us to learn and experience valuable individual and social skills that we need in life. The activities of our office, the ExCo and committees inspire others, and we are respected in the community.
I want to bless everyone with this message of hope and wish all of us energy and success. Waidmannsheil and God bless.
Our members and friends pass on their knowledge and skills to new members and to roleplayers in the industry. The political saying that performance or reward must be worthwhile should therefore not exclusively refer to monetary value. Trying something new is initially associated with uncertainty. Doing something you are used to, something that is second nature to you, is much easier. Thus it is quite understandable that we can be nervous and have unpleasant feelings about gathering new experiences. Unpredictable situations have always existed and we have somehow managed to bounce back. In some cases better than in others. It is difficult to recover from your setbacks. It requires extra energy, determination and help from others. It is not easy to garner that.
Axel Cramer NAPHA President
The WhatsApp slogan of a good friend of mine is spot on: “The only easy day was yesterday.” The hunting fraternity, especially members of NAPHA, need to be well aware of this. But Einstein’s wisdom, leaves us with a message of hope and motivates us from within to excel in our profession day after day.
HUNTiNAMIBIA | 2024
7
HUNTING CONCESSIONS
IN CONSERVANCIES HELD BY NAPHA MEMBERS Angola Oshakati
Kaokoland
10
Owamboland
9
18
21
Rundu
Etosha National Park
Sk ele
Tsumeb
6
ton
2
Khaudum National Park
Mangetti National Park
16
22
13
11
Otavi
Kamanjab
as Co tP
Damaraland
Outjo
ark
Khorixas
Otjiwarongo
14
Waterberg Plateau Park
26
7
15
19
Do b
ro
17
tio
Na
20
Karibib
Okahandja
ar
lP
na
1
k
Gobabis
Windhoek
Swakopmund Walvis Bay
Rehoboth
ft Keetmanshoop
Lüderitz
Naute Recreation Area
rrg pe (S rk a eb ha al P //K ion au Nat
Ts
Ai-Ais Hot Springs
)
iet
eb
8
Hardap Recreation Mariental Resort
lu -Nauk Park
The sustainable use of wildlife, especially trophy hunting, has played a critical role in the development of communal conservancies. Prior to 1998, there were only four hunting concessions operating on Namibia’s communal lands, with none of these concessions providing meaningful engagement with or benefits to resident communities. Today there are 46 trophy-hunting concessions operating on communal lands, with the conservancies being empowered as both the benefactor and custodian of these hunting concessions.
Namib
- Namibia's conservation success story
Noordoewer
WWW.HUNTNAMIBIA.COM.NA
Nakop
Zam bia
Zam bia
Katima Mulilo
Katima Mulilo
ta
12
Zambezi
wa Zambezi 23 ata Bwab 12 Pa 4 wabw k l 23rk 4 r B 25 a a 25 nal P Nation Natio 24 24 5 5 3 Mudumu 3 Mudumu National ParkNational Park Nkasa Rupara National Park Nkasa Rupara
National Park
The dawn of a new age WHAT WILL THIS NEW AGE LOOK LIKE?
To all our partners,
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We hope you are well and getting along with renewed energy and hope for the future. Nothing seems to be the same as before except that we in Namibia still have a competitive advantage. What needs to be done now is to Digital magazine is easy to share globally convince the world that that HUNTING MATTERS. For the past 22 years the Venture Team and our Huntinamibia Optimised for mobile magazine have played a vital role in our combined effort to position Namibia and the hunting sector in the eyes Links as to advertisers websiteand via click-throughs of the world ethical, regulated sustainable. Much of the protection of wildlife and wild places in Namibia Videos can be embedded depends on the success of conservancies, nature parks and nature reserves and the people who need to make THE WORLD’S LARGEST Subscription based a living in these places. Namibians know that, but we need to convince the rest of the world too. That can only be Sent directly to subscribers’ inboxes DIGITAL NEWSSTAND done by joining hands to lobby together and to tell our stories. Huntinamibia has always been at the forefront of spreading this very message, but it has never been more crucial to do so effectively. We can only succeed with your involvement. We invite you to be part of this effort, albeit in a different and even more effective way. Home / Hunting / Huntinamibia
Hunting Concessions held by NAPHA members
- Rieth, Elzanne and the Venture Media team
Huntinamibia
WWW.HUNTNAMIBIA.COM.NA
1999 - 2021
MORE THAN JUST A HUNTING MAGAZINE
Tourism Concessions
GOES DIGITAL
2021/22
•
Digital publication on the world’s largest digital newsstand - Zinio WHY
•
MATTERS and inspiration newsletter, which will Monthly information Conservation hunting in Namibia include: THE FUTURE OF HUNTING • Hunting stories • Videos and interviews about the industry • Classifieds and promotions • News from NAPHA
WWW.HUNTNAMIBIA.COM.NA WWW.HUNTNAMIBIA.COM.NA
1999 - 2021 1999 - 2021
HUNTING
Botswana Communal Conservancies National Park
Botswana Here is where NAPHA members hunt:
1 - #Gaingu - N. Nolte 2 - Anabeb - M. Misner 3 - Balyerwa - K. Stumpfe 4 - Bamunu - G. Utz 5 - Dzoti - H. van Heerden 6 - Ehi-Rovipuka - M. Misner All prices exclude VAT. 7 - Eiseb - J. Wasserfall 8 - George Mukoya - D. Swanepoel 9 - Iipumbu ya Tshilongo - B. Hart 10 - Joseph Mbambagandu - G. Utz 11 - King Nehale - H. van Heerden 12 - Mayuni - J. Traut 13 - Muduva Nyanga - D. Swanepoel 14 - Nyae Nyae - J. Blaauw 15 - Ohungu - N. Nolte 16 - Omatendeka - M. Misner 17 - Omuramba Ua Mbinda - J. Wasserfall 18 - Orupupa - M. Misner 19 - Otjimboyo - N. Nolte 20 - Otjombinde - J. Wasserfall 21 - Ozondundu - M. Misner 22 - Sesfontein - L. J. van Vuuren 23 - Sobbe - K. Stumpfe 24 - Bwabwata West – E. Kirchner 25 - Waterberg Plateau Park – J. Traut
So uth A fri ca
•
Digital web tv series catered towards sharing the importance of hunting in a positive dialogue between hunting outfitters, conservationists, government and communities
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Conservation hunting in Namibia
HUNTING MATTERS
THE FUTURE OF HUNTING Conservation hunting in Namibia
THE FUTURE OF HUNTING
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Subscription links on NAPHA & Huntinamibia website Subscription links can be placed on all advertisers websties Marketing emails sent to NAPHA’s mailing list DIGITAL MAGAZINE ON ZINIO Marketing emails sent to via partners websites (such as DSC) Google Ads Digital magazine that is easy to share globally Subscription supplied to advertisers so that they Optimisedlink forpromotions mobile can Links also share it with their own mailing lists to advertisers website via click-throughs QR Code hunting fairs NAPHA attends (where visitors can Videosboards can beat embedded scanSubscription the QR codebased to be taken directly to the magazine Sent directly to subscribers’ inboxes
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For more information or to book your placement, please contact Elzanne at elzanne@venture.com.na or +264 81 367 3583 Home / Hunting / Huntinamibia
Huntinamibia Save time by purchasing the HuntiNamibia digital magazine with instant delivery to your library, access our magazine across multiple devices and enjoy at an affordable price. 2021/22
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1999 - 2021
WWW.HUNTNAMIBIA.COM.NA
1999 - 2021
WHY
DownloadHUNTING & read offline MATTERS Customize your reading WHY HUNTING preferences with the zoom in MATTERS and out feature and font size adjustment ListenMARKETING to your articles with & SHARING the text to speech feature How will we get it across the world? Subscription links on NAPHA & Huntinamibia website Follow•• our Huntinamibia Subscription links can be placed on all advertisers websties • Marketing emails sent to NAPHA’s mailing list magazine to stay up to date • Marketing emails sent to via partners websites (such as DSC) • Google Ads on all• the latest news Subscription link promotions supplied to advertisers so that they Conservation hunting in Namibia
THE FUTURE OF HUNTING
Conservation hunting in Namibia
THE FUTURE OF HUNTING
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can also share it with their own mailing lists QR Code boards at hunting fairs NAPHA attends (where visitors can scan the QR code to be taken directly to the magazine
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For more information or to book your placement, please contact Elzanne at elzanne@venture.com.na or +264 81 367 3583 All prices exclude VAT.
HUNTiNAMIBIA | 2024
9
Aardvark
Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra
Greater Kudu Brown Hyaena
Leopard
Black Rhino
Status of different wildlife species in Namibia Distribution status
Conservation IUCN Notes on distribution & CITES
Common name
Scientific name
Cape Rock Hyrax
Procavia capensis
√
Procavia welwitchii
√
Heterohyrax brucei
√
Southern African near endemic Namibian near endemic Peripheral indigenous
Loxodonta africana
√
Indigenous
Aardvark
Orycteropus afer
No Indigenous
Near Threatened
Chacma Baboon
Papio ursinus Chlorocebus pygerythrus
√
Indigenous
African Wild Dog Side-striped Jackal
Secure
Distributed across central and southern Namibia
Secure
Kunene region of Namibia and into SW Angola
Secure Vulnerable (CITES II) Secure (CITES II)
Extreme NW in Kunene River valley Historically occurred across all of Namibia except Namib sand sea Widespread across Namibia except for extreme west Widespread across Namibia except extreme west
No Indigenous
Secure (CITES II)
Confined to northeast and Orange River valley
Canis pictus
No Indigenous
Endangered
Canis adustus
Secure Secure
Widespread across Namibia
Secure
Widespread across Namibia
Ratel / Honey Badger Mellivora capensis
No Indigenous Southern African near√ endemic Southern African No endemic Southern African No endemic No Indigenous
Historically occurred across all Namibia except for extreme west Northeast Namibia
Lion
Panthera leo
√
Indigenous
Leopard
Panthera pardus
√
Indigenous
Serval Caracal Cheetah African Wildcat
Leptailurus serval Caracal caracal Acinonyx jubatus Felis sylvestris
Black-footed Cat
Felis nigripes
Brown Hyaena
Hyaena brunnea
No Indigenous √ Indigenous √ Indigenous No Indigenous Southern African No endemic Southern African x endemic
Spotted Hyaena
Crocuta crocuta
x
Aardwolf
Proteles cristata
No
Plains / Burchell’s Zebra Plains / Chapman’s Zebra Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra
Equus quagga burchelli Equus quagga chapmani Equua zebra hartmanni Diceros bicornis bicornis Ceratotherium simum simum Potamochoerus larvatus Phacochoerus aethiopicus aethiopicus Phacochoerus africanus Hippopotamus amphibius Giraffa camelopardalis angolensis
Kaokoveld Rock Hyrax Bush Hyrax African Bush Elephant
Vervet Monkey
Black-backed Jackal Canis mesomelas Bat-eared Fox
Otocyon megalotis
Cape Fox
Vulpes chama
Black Rhinoceros White Rhinoceros Bushpig Desert / Cape Warthog Common Warthog Common Hippopotamus Giraffe (Angolan Giraffe) African Savanna Buffalo
Syncerus caffer
√
Indigenous
Secure
Widespread across Namibia except for extreme west and northeast Throughout Namibia except for extreme west
Secure Vulnerable (CITES Historically occurred across all of Namibia II) Near Threatened Widespread across Namibia except extreme (CITES I) western Namib sand sea Secure (CITES II) Historically across northern and eastern Namibia Secure (CITES II) Widespread across all Namibia Vulnerable (CITES I) Widespread across Namibia except for far west Secure (CITES II) Throughout Namibia Across Namibia except for far west, northwest Vulnerable (CITES I) and northeast Near Threatened
Across all Namibia
Secure
Historically across Namibia except for extreme west
Southern African nearSecure endemic Southern African Near Threatened endemic
Across Namibia except for extreme west and northeast
√
Indigenous
√
Namibian endemic
Vulnerable (CITES II)
√
Indigenous
Secure
Northeast Namibia
No
Southern African endemic
Extinct
Extreme southern Namibia – Orange and Fish River valleys
√
Indigenous
Secure
√
Indigenous
Vulnerable (CITES II)
√
Indigenous
Vulnerable
√
Indigenous
Secure
√ √
Endangered
Across Namibia except for extreme west
Northeast Namibia
Western escarpment and central plateau (mountainous rocky terrain) Historically across Namibia except for extreme Indigenous Vulnerable (CITES I) west Southern African near- Near Threatened Historic range across Namibia above about the endemic (CITES I) 250 mm rainfall isohyet
Widespread across Namibia except for far west and south Historically occurred in all perennial river systems in Namibia Historically widespread across all Namibia except for extreme west Historically widespread except for far west and southern Kalahari
HUNTiNAMIBIA | 2024
11
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Common name
Scientific name
Nyala
Tragelaphus angasi
Distribution status √
Exotic
√
Indigenous
√ √
Indigenous Indigenous
Bushbuck Sitatunga
Tragelaphus strepsiceros Tragelaphus scriptus Tragelaphus spekii
Common Eland
Taurotragus oryx
√
Indigenous
Sylvicapra grimmia
√
Indigenous
Raphicerus sharpei
√
Greater Kudu
Common / Grey Duiker Sharpe’s Grysbok
Conservation IUCN Notes on distribution & CITES Occurred naturally in northern KwaZulu-Natal Secure and Kruger NP Lowveld Widespread across Namibia except for extreme Secure west Secure Northeast Namibia Secure Reedbeds in north-eastern perennial rivers Historically throughout Namibia except for far Secure west Secure
Throughout Namibia except in far west
Peripheral indigenous Southern African nearSteenbok Raphicerus campestris √ endemic Madoqua kirkii Namibian nearDamara Dik-dik √ damarensis endemic Southern African Springbok Antidorcas marsupialis √ endemic Oribi Ourebia ourebi √ Peripheral indigenous Rhebok Pelea capreolus No Peripheral indigenous Southern Reedbuck Redunca arundinum √ Indigenous
Secure
Extreme eastern Zambezi Region
Secure
Throughout Namibia except in extreme west
Secure
Central, north-central and north-western Namibia
Puku
Kobus vardoni
√
Peripheral indigenous
Near Threatened
Southern Lechwe
Kobus leche
√
Indigenous
Waterbuck
Kobus ellipsiprymnus
√
Indigenous
Near Threatened (CITES II) Secure
Klipspringer
Oreotragus oreotragus √
Indigenous
Secure
Indigenous
Secure
Namibian nearendemic
Vulnerable
Secure Secure Secure Secure
Throughout Namibia except in north-eastern woodlands Eastern Zambezi Region Huns Mountains in Namibia’s extreme south Perennial rivers in north-eastern Namibia Extreme eastern Zambezi Region – Chobe floodplains River systems in northeast Namibia
Blue Wildebeest
Connochaetes taurinus √
Indigenous
Secure
Black Wildebeest
Connochaetes gnou
√
Exotic
Secure
Roan Antelope Sable Antelope
Hippotragus equinus Hippotragus niger
√ √
Secure Secure
Southern Oryx
Oryx gazella
√
Indigenous Indigenous Southern African endemic
River systems in northeast Namibia Hilly, rocky & mountainous areas of southern, central and north-western Namibia Historically across central-eastern and northeastern Namibia Northwest and southwards to northern central plateau Occurred naturally only in the Western Cape coastal fynbos, RSA Occurred naturally only in South Africa’s grassland Highveld & Karoo Northeast Namibia Kalahari and thornveld savanna ecosystems in Namibia Historically widespread, except in the west & extreme south Occurred naturally only in South Africa’s grassland Highveld & Karoo North-eastern woodlands of Namibia North-eastern woodlands of Namibia
Secure
Throughout Namibia, except for Zambezi region
Common Impala Black-faced Impala Bontebok Blesbok Tsessebe Red Hartebeest
Aepyceros melampus √ melampus Aepyceros melampus √ petersi Damaliscus pygargus √ pygargus Damaliscus pygargus √ phillipsi Damaliscus lunatus √ Alcelaphus buselaphus √ caama
Exotic
Vulnerable (CITES II)
Exotic
Secure
Indigenous Southern African endemic
Secure Secure
DEFINITIONS Indigenous – where the species occurs naturally without any human intervention. This refers to the species’ actual distribution, not the countries where it occurs. For example, Waterbuck and Lechwe are indigenous to the wetland systems of NE Namibia – they are not indigenous to the whole of Namibia. Similarly, Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra are indigenous to the western escarpment and central plateau of Namibia, but not to the Kalahari. Endemic – where an indigenous species has a naturally restricted range. Thus, a Namibian endemic means that the species occurs naturally only in Namibia. We therefore have a special responsibility for its conservation. A Southern African endemic means that the natural global distribution of a species is confined to south of the Kunene and Zambezi rivers. Near-endemic – where about 80% of the natural range of a species is
confined to the specified area. For example, the Damara Dik-dik is a nearendemic to Namibia, with just a small part of its range extending into southwest Angola. Exotic – where a species originates from another part of the world and has never occurred naturally in Namibia, e.g. Nyala, Blesbok, Black Wildebeest. Peripheral – where a species just enters the very edge of Namibia, with most of its distribution occurring elsewhere, e.g. Puku, with a tiny population on the Chobe floodplains but most of its population in Zambia. Conservation Status – IUCN global conservation assessment (see www.iucnredlist.org - not the Namibian status); and the CITES Appendix status.
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My nemesis, my muse “The taxi drivers in town.” This was my spontaneous reply when asked about the most dangerous and challenging situation I have ever found myself in. The interviewer chuckled, and repeated, “No, but seriously…?” Seriously. How do you explain such a moment – one which is relative? That fleeting moment which lingers as an afterthought and changes as time goes by. It creeps into your subconscious and it finds a cosy place where it settles as a neuropath that develops in your brain. One where your senses are exhausted, tested and tried to such extremes that you have moments where you question everything about it. Danene van der Westhuyzen
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MY NEMESIS, MY MUSE - A RHINO PURSUIT
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aybreak finds my hunter and I sitting close to a camel thorn wood fire, for the morning air is chilly after the night’s rain. It is the end of March in Namibia and the coolness is a welcome surprise, caressing us in the eerie stillness enveloping the camp. The sound of the crackling fire is the only reminder of the present, as our thoughts are lingering on the previous day, and no word is spoken between us. It is slightly disturbing. It is fitting. There are some things in this world which defy conventional description, where language and words fall short of recounting experiences or the complex emotions behind them. Africa offers little middle ground; landscapes that demand huge acceptance, to the extent that one would lose oneself, willingly and at times unwillingly. The vulnerability of it all, steering us to elation or defeat. A love-hate relationship. You either can’t endure, or the charms sink deep into your bones, never to leave. It was the second last day of the hunt. The morning started crisp. Later, when the greedy sun has claimed the last drop of dew from the thick green brush, we would long for just a moment of this bliss. We are searching for a black rhino. A specific one. It is an animal worthy of its name: black as in feared, dangerous, aggressive. With its bad eyesight it relies heavily on smell, and leaves nothing to chance or inspection. A rhino rarely moves off, confronting everything and everyone, while leaving a trail of destruction. The landscape, as if to mock us in our challenge, lies before us in never-ending stretches of ancient sandy riverbeds called omurambas, dotted here and there with standing pools of water. The surrounding sandy plains are an entangled mess of bush, shrubs and trees offering visibility barely from one rifle to the next. In a different setting, this forest would be beautiful. A vibrant mix of African wattle, wild syringa, camel thorn, silver cluster-leaf, African and common teak flowering purple throughout, and interlaced with a variety of raisin bush, yellow wood, lavender fever berry, Kalahari white and pink bauhinia, peeling bark and buffalo thorn. But today its beauty offers no solace. Today it only challenges us, sneers at us, contemptuously. It is the perfect home for black rhino.
The only control we even pretend to have over is our own survival. And that is vulnerable. And it feels wonderful. We expose ourselves to elements that the hunting grounds offer, which no human can control or cope with – a great difference to the hunted. Our sedentary lives go against every aspect of it. Our skins turn to blisters under the scrupulous sun, our mouths dry up quicker than we hope. We are always carrying water with us, always rationing water, always noticing water. Water and fire, there is no avoiding them. Our rifle biting uncomfortably hard into our shoulders, while we are trying to distribute its weight on our upright sapient bodies. We are uncomfortable, walking exposed, enduring all the elements and pondering on sameness – trying to relate to animals by studying them to a moment of confrontation. Sometimes we are friends, sometimes we become predators. It is noon and the sun stands motionless right above our tired bodies, scorching us viciously as if to reprimand us for our naivety. Finally, after more than five hours, we are on the same track as the day before. It is fresh. This hunting area offers no grace. There are no roads to cut off tracks, no fixed drinking spots, but there is an array of water sources randomly plotted throughout this large area. A skewed left toe has given the rhino away. Our San tracker can move much faster than us, but he is carefully moving slower than usual, not because of his regard to us, but because of the different play at hand. Our eyes are useless, as the thickets are not revealing anything but a green sea of leaves and branches. For days now, relying on our eyesight could only confirm the freshness and uniqueness of the track in front of us, but not the beast before us. Searching for black rhino, which does not stand tall enough to be spotted over the brush, now seems a futile endeavour. Our other senses have to be retrained in haste. Listening, smelling, feeling and perceiving. But the wind has shifted. We cannot continue in this direction. The rhino will smell us and we will keep pushing it on, driving it to an even more aggressive state. The fifteen kilometres that lie behind us are work undone, their only revelation is the animal’s direction. Time suddenly seemed to be utterly surreal, an impossible demanding reality. We can’t buy more time, the hunt’s end is within a day. Self-pity washes over me, and I grow tearful as I drink the last tepid
water left in my backpack. I am drained and tired and thirsty. I shouldn’t be here. I feel timid and weak and useless. The veld becomes the testing ground, the transition to hunter some sort of final examination. We go into places that are wild, and the natural elements firmly take hold of our vulnerability. We doubt and we try to find reasons to postpone, to give up and to mull over all the reasons why we cannot and should not continue. The other side of vulnerability is that it doubles as tenacity in certain circumstances. I grapple to understand which is what. I have learnt to mitigate these anxieties with the people around me. Like my trusted tracker, friend and motivator. And that motivation was earned step by step, as it continues to be. My tracker, Abraham, whispers close to my ear, “You can and you will do this.” My boundaries are shifting. It’s reverberating. We took a rest in the cool of the shade, with clouds building around us. At some point I drifted off but was woken in what felt like seconds into my slumber by the sound of thunder. How lovely it was to feel insignificant in this moment. It took a minute or two for me to catch my breath, collect my guts, put my backpack on and sling my rifle over my shoulder. My tracker jokingly asks if I am okay, and I laugh because it is more admirable to have a sense of humour than to cry, and I sort myself out. We keep walking. Forever. Later, the wind has picked up and more clouds are gathering above us. The San tracker is scrutinising the track in the omuramba now, and he pauses every so often to listen intently and gaze out into the sea of green, before he follows his intuition again – straight into the abyss. The hunter and I exchange looks as we make our way behind him. For a while now, we have heard some sound of bush scrunching and now it is distinguishable. A rhino feeding. “Slowly”, the tracker indicates with his arm language. I came to learn his particular sign language in the past days that he led us. At first, every move made me jolt, as I anticipated our quarry in front of us. But most of the time, it was to point out a hiding place, a gathering of sorts, a resting spot, a fight, a love story, a kindling, a waterquenching gulp, the distinctive projecting remnant of a stump left by a feeding black
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rhino, a birthplace, a bone…It was just astounding what this willowy man was telling with his hands and arms. At some point during the warmest part of the day he stopped at what looked to be a random bush, and started digging underneath it. There, like magic, a bulb appeared in his hand. He cleaned it and gestured to the hunter and me to chew on it. It was gold in the form of liquid. This amazing man, this magician, this great wanderer, this master of the veld, this gifted one. The ancient knowledge of the San coming to life in front of me. But this time he goes down onto his haunches, looks back, his eyes wide and searching for me. “It’s here, right in front of us.” A deep and wild smell of ammonia fills the air.
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This is what we come to when we talk about being in the veld. The fear that sits in our stomach, in the swirl of voices between our ears, in our stiffening diaphragm when our breath is stolen by fright. When I initially started guiding hunters to dangerous game, the fear was equally external as it was internal. Everybody kept telling me what could happen to me, as if I – a woman living in this modern world – hadn’t already thought of all the possibilities. I have children, I should tend to them and my husband and my home. I should be responsible. I should assist, support, or better yet, stay at home. There is truth behind all this fretting. And these warnings have burnt themselves into my psyche with the hottest kind of flame. But death awaits, anyway. I am not immune to it.
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MY NEMESIS, MY MUSE - A RHINO PURSUIT And hunting is shaping my relationship and redefining who I might be in the face of it. I have been in the presence of unpredictable people, seen the flashes of rage in their eyes, felt the dark wind of an impending threat, and I was able to step aside and exit slowly and deliberately. The prey outwitting the predator. Now, in these vulnerable moments that I am forced into, fear serves me well. A predator lives in me. I am a hunter.
what was probably not even a few seconds, a flash of black brute appears through the bush with extraordinary speed and even more incredible agility. And in a blink, a heartbeat, a moment – he is gone. There is no coming back, there is no deliberating. He is gone. My Garmin watch beeps irritably, warning me with a constant “abnormal heart rate detected” vibration on my wrist, as we unload our rifles, take a rest underneath a tree and calm our nerves. The sun was setting, and we realised what had passed between us. Not only a black rhino, but also a chance undone.
We have worked so hard, covered so much ground, wanted this so badly. This is where it happens. Slowly we creep closer. Our senses are heightened, our rifles all of a sudden but a feather in our hands, and no Hunting. It is humble and " The greatest gift of hunting is the ability thought of replenishing our thirsty magnificent at the same time, and to look past what is obvious, to value bodies passes through our minds. it is natural. When hunting, we landscapes for what is not easily seen, for become animals, and it occurs in a If only we could see the animal. Carefully, as not to make a noise, we potential and for the promise of surprise." realm where death has a different push on. The thorns are suddenly consequence. The greatest gift of elevated in their grip, and their hunting is the ability to look past pulling and tearing through my flesh what is obvious, to value landscapes is more painful than ever before. We try to move around the rhino, for what is not easily seen, for potential and for the promise of surprise. trying to search for just a glance at him to be able to positively identify We explore the marvellous reality of life and the unapologetic chances the correct animal, and if he is, to have an opening large enough for the that we are not meant to fear, but to embrace bravely. Which serves a hunter to make that perfect shot. The wind is not our friend, we know purpose of connection. it, but we will take our chance regardlessly. “Are you ready to go?” Our tracker’s soft voice disturbs the silence And then, abruptly, vibrations of aggressively stomping feet around the morning fire. We exchange glances in the dark, but I shake the ground below us, and short warning snorts break the cannot read his expression. It is our last day. I feel humbled but surrounding stillness. Time stands still. We are ready, and before strengthened – a feeling that only hunting brings about. I get up me the scene unfolds in slow motion. Minutes pass painfully slow, from my chair, my legs aching from the previous day. I look at with the deafening sound of breaking branches crashing towards the hunter. I read his face, and I understand what it reveals. He is us from a world beyond our position. We have no chance. Within content. He is connected.
First published in A Dangerous Game - Robin Hurt
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The realisation that being part of something bigger is much more rewarding than personal interests, and often needs a slight shift in mind-set, to align important individual needs with a greater good. After all, the dessert is not always green — some of the most beautiful moments are when the land lies empty, barren, desolate, while a lone oryx moves through wide open spaces.
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NAPHA AND THE AGE-RELATED TROPHY MEASURING SYSTEM:
Preserving Namibia's wildlife Kristen Maritz
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hen reminiscing about our childhood days in Namibia, we fondly remember witnessing majestic kudu bulls gracefully leaping across the roads or proudly surveying the hills nearby. However, over the years, these awe-inspiring sightings have become increasingly scarce. The furniture in old farmhouses, crafted from the horns of these magnificent animals, serves as a constant reminder of their grandeur and the prevailing sentiment that "you don't see them that big these days anymore." Such comments are not uncommon, especially while looking through the old hunting record books on the farms. Non-trophy hunters lament that "the good genes are all taken to hang on a wall somewhere". It is evident that conservation is crucial to sustainably utilise Namibia's wildlife and preserve its beauty for future generations. Recognising this, the Namibia Professional Hunting Association (NAPHA) made a significant step in adopting the Age-Related Trophy Measurement (ART) as its official measurement system in 2019.
vegetation zones age differently. Therefore, ART moved away from age classification in years and focused on the three critical stages in an animal's life. After nearly fifty years of dedication to conservation, NAPHA decided to strictly enforce the ART system, reaffirming its commitment to preserving Namibia's wildlife. The decision was not taken lightly. The executive committee was aware of potential resistance and its potential impact on NAPHA medal sales – a significant source of income for the association and its Hunters Support Education (HSE) subcommittee. HSE is an essential part of NAPHA, focusing on educating children and teenagers about the vital role nature plays in our lives. By taking children, who haven't had the opportunity to experience Namibia's bush and wildlife, into the field, HSE aims to foster the next generation of game wardens and conservationists while instilling a profound respect for nature.
The ART system, which was developed by the Erongoverzeichnis working group, addresses the concern of harvesting large trophies before these animals can effectively pass on their genes to future generations. Conservation, in this context, involves the selective off-take of animals that have had their time, allowing them ample opportunity to pass on their genes to the generations seen by our children and grandchildren. The ART system focuses on the three crucial stages in an animal's life: premature, prime, and past-prime. The aim is not to penalise hunters who took prime trophies, but rather to reward those who pursued older animals despite smaller trophy sizes due to wear and tear, and to discourage the hunting of premature animals.
NAPHA, founded in 1974, not only promotes ethical and sustainable hunting but also serves as a voice for Namibian hunting professionals, transcending the borders of our beloved country. The funds generated through medal sales and other fundraising initiatives help raise international awareness about the importance of conservation based on sustainable hunting. In a world where the hunting community faces global criticism, NAPHA's commitment to adapting and improving the trophy measurement system sets a precedent – emphasising that conservation is of utmost importance, and the experience of a satisfying, sustainable hunt holds more significance than a mere trophy on a wall.
Initially there was resistance to the seemingly new system in the community. However, NAPHA did not seek to reinvent the wheel: it built and improved upon the existing Namibian quality control measurement system (NQS). The vast and diverse landscape of Namibia necessitated a flexible approach, as animals in different
In an era where nature is an endangered commodity, ethical hunters recognise the need to honour the creator within the creature. They understand that knowing when to take an animal and when to let it go is vital in preserving the delicate balance of wildlife and nature for the generations to come.
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IN THE BLOOD:
The Birth of a Hunter Hunting is a gift that is in our blood at birth, but true hunters are not born – they are made. I am of the firm belief that the instinct to hunt is present in every human’s DNA, albeit deeper down and less amplified in some. But I also believe it is something that needs to be nurtured and brought out of a person. The raw instinct to shoot the arrow or fire the rifle might live within you, but the why, the how and the what now? are skills and values that must be carefully taught and passed down through generations. Jackson Engel
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hroughout human history there has been an unbending pattern of parents, or other mentors, raising the next generation of hunters: teaching and equipping the young for the moment when they themselves would become hunters as well. The act of hunting is an extremely complex thing that not only requires a high level of skill and knowledge but, more importantly, also a deep sense of respect for nature and an understanding of the impact of one’s actions. These are things that my father learnt on his own hunting journey, and they are the reason why the task of raising me and my sister to become hunters was something that he did not take lightly. Being born into an environment of hunting and raised by a passionate hunter set me on a predestined path of learning, but the fundamental hunting skills and detailed understanding of wildlife that I have today were seeds intentionally planted by my dad. From simply spending time outdoors together to watching hunting DVDs and drifting off to sleep while he read Death in the long grass and other famous hunting books to me, my dad continued to stir my instinct and stoke it into a passion – getting me ready for the day I would become a hunter. If I had had things my way, I would have gone out and hunted my first animal as soon as I was able to pick up a weapon, but my dad knew that there were things I would not be able to understand until I was older, and until that day came he wouldn’t allow me to pull the trigger on a big game animal. Now, at 24 years old, I can see the value in his patience. One of the most influential components early in my journey of becoming a hunter was a 1989 documentary film called In the blood. In this film, George Butler artfully
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documents his son Tyssen’s journey of becoming a big game hunter while on safari with legendary professional hunter, Robin Hurt, in Tanzania. The story shows Tyssen’s growing understanding of conservation and his acquisition of hunting skills, culminating in the hunt for his first big game animal, an old Cape buffalo bull. When standing by the fallen bull moments after it had happened, 13-year-old Tyssen was shedding a few tears. Noticing this, Robin said to him, “Today you are a part of nature. But now you know what it’s like when you take an animal’s life; it’s also a sad occasion.” He then reached down and dipped his fingers into the buffalo’s blood, saying, “Tyssen, this is the most serious part. Do you know what you’ve just done? You’ve just taken your first animal, and it’s a special moment.” Robin then proceeded to smear the blood on Tyssen’s face, turning him to face the hills as a reminder that they were standing where that buffalo had lived his whole life. Even at the tender age of six, when I first watched this film with my dad, I was moved by this powerful scene and anxiously looked forward to experiencing the same thing myself one day. That moment came around a year later while we were on safari in 2006 with some of our closest family friends. This wasn’t our first family safari together, but there was something different in the air on this trip. I knew it was my turn to be initiated into the hunting community. I will never forget my first stalk of the hunt, when we were able to sneak in to a mere 15 yards from a large warthog boar. My heart was racing, and I wanted nothing more than for it to be my moment, but I couldn’t see his vitals clearly through the grass, so I did not pull the trigger. This was not only the closest I had ever gotten to a wild animal, but I distinctly remember the pride exuded by my dad in
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recognition of the patience I showed (not common in a 7-year-old). He had taught me well, and this stalk only confirmed to him that I was ready. Which was a good thing, because a few days later when my moment did come, he would have to trust me that I would show the same level of discernment. After several days of riding around in the vehicle with the hunting team, flip-flopping between observing him on his own hunts and going on some unsuccessful stalks on warthog for myself, we decided it would be best to change plans and let the warthogs come to us. Our friend and PH, George Hallamore, knew of a secluded pool of water in a mostly dry riverbed with a perfect spot to place a pop-up blind in an elevated position overlooking the water. After brushing in the blind, my dad and I along with one of the trackers, Solomon, settled in for the waiting game. Several hours passed with the occasional visit from a non-target species or young warthogs, but we had yet to see the kind of boar we were looking for. I was enthralled by the opportunity to watch the animals at such close quarters while remaining undetected – it was a form of hunting that I had never experienced before. That being said, the 7-year-old boy in me was beginning to die a slow death of boredom wondering when the right pig would show up. I was probably in the middle of counting the doves at the water for the 87th time when I felt my dad tap me on my shoulder. “Jack, there’s a nice warthog coming in,” he whispered, “get ready, we are going to take this one.” Suddenly all I could hear was my heartbeat echoing in my head and my hands began to shake despite my best efforts to stop them. The moment had come. We watched the boar slowly meander down the riverbed and begin drinking at the pool
THE BIRTH OF A HUNTER
of water. He was facing directly towards us, which meant no shot. So we waited. When he had finished drinking, he started walking directly away from us and I began to experience the familiar feeling of defeat. To my surprise, though, he suddenly dropped to his knees and began rooting around for insects in a small depression in the sand. The angle was perfect, but there was one problem – I could only see half of his body. Being on his knees in a pseudo-hole, the ground between us was covering most of his lower half. Much of his vitals and the key reference points for shot placement that my dad had taught me were out of my view. To make matters more difficult, the warthog was shifting back and forth as he dug deeper in search of his next bite. I could tell that my dad was nervous with the situation and wanted me to wait for a clearer shot, but when he heard me say confidently, “I can take him there!”, he knew he could trust my judgment. I settled the crosshairs on the boar’s shoulder just above the wall of dirt and began squeezing the trigger with the soothing sound of my dad’s voice in the background repeating, “Just take your time… taaaake your time.” The sound of the shot and the recoil of the rifle left me in complete confusion. I looked anxiously for the warthog, but he seemed to have disappeared. “Did I get him?” I asked intensely. When my dad informed me that the boar was down, I looked again and saw dust coming up at the “hole” from a few final kicks from the pig. I remember feeling something that I had never felt before in my life. It was a torrent of almost nauseating adrenaline, intense pride, and instinctual awakening. I had graduated from an observer to a participant in nature – from a hunter to a hunter – and that is a feeling deep in your soul that you can never understand until
you experience it yourself. I jumped up and gave my dad a huge high-five, thanked him immensely, and told him that I couldn’t have done it without him. A few minutes later, I found myself taking part in that special tradition that I had observed on the TV a year earlier. My dad gave me the same talk that Robin had given Tyssen and smeared the warthog’s blood on my face. In that moment, in the blood suddenly became something much more real and meaningful than a figurative saying about our instincts. When we returned to camp, I was welcomed with congratulations from my mom, my sister and my friends – not because they had seen or heard that I had shot a warthog, but because they saw the blood on my face and knew what it entailed. It was beyond description to know that what I had done was real. It wasn’t just something that I had felt. It was something that I wore on my face for all to see, and even though my mom made me wash that blood off before bed, it had left a permanent mark on me that can never be taken away. A few years later I moved to Namibia where I experienced countless more memories in the bush with my dad. He and other mentors, including some of Africa’s best PHs such as Jofie Lamprecht and Dirk de Bod, continued to teach me. The opportunities that I was presented with during my years in Namibia allowed me to grow as a hunter in ways I never could have imagined on that day in 2006. However, I know that even today I still have many more miles and lessons ahead of me on my hunting journey. That day was simply the first page of a new chapter, and I look forward to learning from the chapters that still lie ahead of me. Hopefully, one day I can be a part of writing someone else’s book as well.
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When Robin turned me toward the hills, I knew that something in me had changed forever. When I go back to hunt with my father and my grandfather, I will understand some of the things about hunting that they could never explain to me until I did it myself. I don’t know the words for all I felt today, but I know that I’m going to keep hunting, and if I have children, I hope that they will want to hunt with me.” – Tyssen Butler
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5 WAYS
in which Hunting supports Conservation in Namibia
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1.
ildlife population management through hunting plays an integral role in conservation in the Namibian context for several reasons:
Sustainable Utilisation: Namibia follows a conservation model known as community-based natural resource management (CBNRM), where local communities have ownership rights and are involved in wildlife management decisions. By allowing hunting as a form of sustainable utilisation, Namibia has created incentives for communities to conserve and protect wildlife populations on their lands. The revenue generated from wellregulated hunting activities provides economic benefits to these communities, making conservation a viable and attractive option. 2.
Habitat Conservation: Hunting can be used as a tool to manage wildlife populations and maintain a healthy balance between species and their habitats. By selectively targeting specific animals, such as older males or surplus individuals, hunting helps prevent overpopulation and reduces competition for resources. This, in turn, benefits the overall health of the ecosystem and ensures the availability of suitable habitat for a diverse range of wildlife species.
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Anti-Poaching Efforts: Hunting can serve as a deterrent to poaching. In Namibia, where wildlife populations face threats from illegal hunting, allowing regulated hunting provides an alternative and legal means for trophy hunters to engage in hunting activities. This reduces the demand for illegal wildlife products, as legal hunting provides trophy opportunities and financial incentives to support conservation efforts.
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Conservation Funding: Revenue generated from hunting permits, trophy fees, and related activities can contribute significantly to conservation efforts. These funds can be used to support anti-poaching patrols, habitat restoration, wildlife research, and community development initiatives. By providing financial resources, hunting becomes a valuable tool in supporting conservation programs and ensuring the long-term viability of wildlife populations.
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Local Community Engagement: Hunting activities often involve local communities, creating a sense of ownership and empowerment in wildlife conservation. By involving communities in decision-making processes and providing economic incentives, hunting promotes local stewardship of wildlife resources. This engagement fosters a positive relationship between communities and wildlife, leading to increased tolerance and support for conservation efforts.
It is important to note that successful wildlife population management through hunting in Namibia relies on a well-regulated system. Namibia has implemented strict quotas, hunting guidelines, and monitoring programs to ensure sustainability and prevent overexploitation. The Namibian government, along with various conservation organisations, works together to enforce regulations, conduct research, and continuously improve wildlife management practices for the benefit of both conservation and local communities.
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THE LAST
SPRINGBOK
For me personally springbok hunting entails everything that I wish for in a good hunt: Great landscape, a fascinating game difficult to approach, tasty venison and a beautiful trophy. Kai-Uwe Denker
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his may not apply to all areas where this species occurs as springbok are distributed over large tracts of Namibia, Botswana and South Africa, and the terrain differs considerably, but it certainly applies to the barren open country of southern and western Namibia. The springbok is my favourite game animal – for a few days of springbok hunting at the edge of the Namib Desert I postpone everything else. So much so, that if I would have to stop hunting except for one species, I would choose springbok. Now, while springbok certainly are not endangered, it has become apparent in a dramatic way to me that springbok country true to my heart’s desire – meaning vistas of endlessly far horizons in unspoiled, unfenced landscape – is disappearing. When the Tsiseb Conservancy at the Brandberg in western Namibia was formed and registered 20 years ago, I was the first professional hunter there. Together with the manager, Eric Xaweb, I selected the spot for the hunting camp. Our considerations and motives were centred around choosing a spot in the heart of the core conservation area, away from the main tourist activity near Brandberg, yet with a splendid view of the mountain and, importantly, some shade, which we found under the camel thorn trees along the dry watercourse of the Xanamab River. Being in this plain camp amidst a scenery that is both desolate and empty and at the same time simply immense, has given me that perfect peace of mind that perhaps only the desert can give.
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“ But sustainable conservation hunting cannot compete with big industrial interests or for that matter any serious commercial interests. Yet the last fragments of unspoiled nature have immense value for humanity at large and for our planet as such."
THE LAST SPRINGBOK
Moreover, in this conservancy I worked with the most reliable and dedicated community game guard I have ever met. Eric (Stanislaus) Ganaseb has been my right-hand man and friend for all these years, accompanying almost all my hunts in Tsiseb. So, I was in high spirits when driving towards my lonely camp at the Xanamab River in February 2023 to prepare it for the first hunt of the season. Readers can perhaps imagine my alarm, when the unobtrusive track along the dry riverbed suddenly merged with a newly constructed gravel road coming in from the southeast. And my utter dismay when realising that this gravel road led right through the heart of the core conservation area, passing behind the hunting camp, and that lorries were driving hence and forth day and night, roaring, rattling and clattering. I expressed my concern to the Conservancy Management Committee and there learned that a Chinese mining company had established lithium mines in the area and that moreover a Green Hydrogen Scheme was planned to the west of Brandberg Mountain with a string of wind turbines running along the foot of the mountain towards Uis. The first phase of the project was to be implemented at the end of March. After setting up the camp in a very anxious mood I drove to Windhoek to pick up the client at Hosea Kutako International Airport, returning to my camp in Tsiseb Conservancy late on a Sunday evening. All was silent and at our small flickering campfire we were able to enjoy the tranquillity of the desert under a magnificent starry sky before retreating to our tents. Early next morning found us back at the campfire, sipping a cup of coffee and munching a biscuit amidst the absolute stillness of dawn in the desert, looking forward to experiencing a day of original hunting. However, when arriving at one of my favourite lookout points towards the northwest of the camp – after taking the client on the first walk to give him an impression of the sweeping immensity of the scenery in Tsiseb, as I always do – we had a lithium mine in front of us. The noise of the machinery there accompanied us on our entire stalk. I am simply unable to put my dismay into appropriate words. The rainy season until then had been rather poor. We, however, came upon a stretch of
country where a shower had gone down, producing a slight flush of green on and around some barren hills to the north of our camp. And around these hills some three or four hundred springbok had gathered. Having climbed these hills and scanning the surroundings, some of the peace within me, which the desert generally brings about, returned. Because of the wind direction the noise of the mine was no longer audible, and I just avoided looking into the direction where the mining activity made a column of dust rise. The soft red desert sand blown in between the dark brown basalt rocks of the hills gave a soft touch to the harsh ridge, even more so as the scattered commiphora bushes growing on it were covered in dense green foliage. At the foot of the hills sparse green grass, so inconspicuous that at a little distance it was noticeable only to an experienced eye – yet of so much meaning in the desert – was sprouting, tufts of which were even in flower on the banks of a small gully. And the entire stretch was sprinkled, denser here and more sparsely there, with springbok. Beyond the expanse of green flush an immense plain, bathed in early morning sunlight, stretched towards the majestic massif of the Brandberg. Late in the afternoon of that first hunting day we spotted a very fine old springbok ram to the northwest of the ridge. Though not outstanding in size, the horns were exceptionally beautiful, shaped in the classic matured way: laid back into the neck due to the pronounced base section, tips turned backwards prominently. A stalk however, seemed inadvisable. The old male was surrounded by perhaps one hundred other springbok, among them many fawns. So, I was in good spirits at the campfire that night. This spirit even rose to a high note when later on the distant whoop of a spotted hyena resounded from the hills in the north, drawing nearer at intervals. While a slight wind softly moved the flaps of my tent, I sleepily turned onto the other side, dozing off with a sigh of contentment. I was rudely awakened by a rattling and clattering sound at 3:00 a.m., and it took some moments until I came to my senses and realised that the noise came from the traffic of the mining lorries which had resumed. In the meantime, the whoop of the hyena was heard close by to the east of our camp. Until dawn the roaring of lorries and the grand whoop of the hyena were
heard in turns. In dismay I realised that my time in Tsiseb would come to an end after this safari. There would be no return. Still, the great Gods of the wilds had a grandiose farewell in store for me. Leaving camp at first light, our little group – besides the client and myself consisting of game guard Eric and a colleague – walked over to the basalt ridge which we climbed some time later to sit down on some rocks and start glassing. Soon we detected the old male again, but little had changed from the circumstances of the previous afternoon. Substantial numbers of other springbok were grazing in the vicinity as well. I was still considering options to approach the ram when suddenly movement came into the springbok, which until then had been grazing peacefully in the early morning hours. Spreading like a wave coming from the southwest, group after group of springbok became alerted by something and – the cute fawns in particular, pronking in their typical fashion, snow-white back fold exposed – bounced away, raising little clouds of dust. Looking for the cause of the disturbance we suddenly saw a big spotted hyena emerge from the depression of a little dry rivulet at the buttress of the hills which so far had concealed it from our view. It did not pay any attention to the springbok but headed towards Brandberg across the wide plain in an effortless gallop with long strides, huge and powerful, mighty, in comparison to the dainty gazelles now scattering into all directions. Not a sluggish, gorged national park hyena. No, a vigorous desert hyena, almost slender – no, rawboned – the foreparts on long forelegs and the long neck appearing shaggy, the dark spots becoming more conspicuous in the hindparts. It did not pause or ever slow down once, it just reeled off the miles, returning belatedly from its nightly sojourn and now on the way to its lair somewhere in the foothills of the distant Brandberg Mountain. Not a mere scavenger, no, a mighty predator of the desert. After spellbound following the run of the hyena through my binoculars until it was a mere speck in the distance that disappeared into shimmering layers of air, my mind slowly returned to the more superficial matters at hand.
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HOW DO I BECOME A
NAPHA MEMBER STEP 1
STEP 2
STEP 3
STEP 4
STEP 5
Obtain your Membership Application Form at the NAPHA Office, or find it on our Website: www.naphanamibia.com
Determine your Membership category.
Fill out the Form, and write a short Motivation as to why you want to become a NAPHA member.
For Ordinary and Extraordinary Membership submit the following to office@napha.com.na: A copy of your NTB registration A copy of your MEFT registration A copy of your ID
Provide us with 1 Endorsement letter and 3 names and contact numbers within the Hunting industry that can motivate your Application. www.naphanamibia.com
NAPHA MEMBERSHIP CATEGORIES (Membership cycle: 01 September – 31 August)
Ordinary Member This member must have passed the official Namibian examination as a hunting professional. NAD 4,830.00 per annum Spouses: NAD 3,620.00 per annum Applicants below the age of 30: NAD 2,415.00 per annum Pensioners: NAD 1,490.00 per annum
Extraordinary Member Any natural person living in Namibia (Namibian resident or a person with a valid permanent residence permit) who generates an income from trophy hunting or any person (Namibian resident or a person with a valid permanent residence permit) who has a safari company with trophy hunting as a full-time or part-time occupation qualifies as can be an “Extraordinary member”. NAD 4,830.00 per annum Spouses: NAD 3,620.00 per annum Pensioners: NAD 1,490.00 per annum
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We are happy to assist with Endorsement letters, and anything you might have trouble with. Fees include 15% VAT. The membership cycle runs from 1 September to 31 August annually. Your application is subject to approval by the Executive Committee of NAPHA. NAPHA’s right of refusal or reason / disclosure of non-acceptance of membership application is reserved.
Sponsoring Member/internationals Any natural person with a personal interest in the implementation of the Association’s objectives, and who does not qualify for Ordinary or Extraordinary membership, qualifies as a “Sponsoring member”. NAD 2,570.00 per annum
Hunting Assistant / Camp Attendant Any natural person who does not possess any official Namibian examination qualification as per Section 3.2.1 and is employed by an ordinary, honorary or extraordinary member as a hunting assistant / camp attendant and who does not qualify for any of the other NAPHA membership categories qualifies as a “Hunting Assistant” or “Camp Attendant”. NAD 350.00 per annum Admission Fee (non-refundable): NAD 200.00 Tribunal Appeal Fees: NAD 200.00
contact us T: +264 61 234 455 E: office@napha.com.na P.O. Box 11291 Windhoek, Namibia www.napha-namibia.com
THE LAST SPRINGBOK And here an opportunity presented itself. This is what I particularly like when hunting springbok in the desert. Sooner or later, after long periods of waiting or slow laborious crawling, an opportunity for swift determined action arises. While most other springbok, and especially the ewes with the fawns, had run away when the hyena made its appearance, the old ram had calmly let the hyena pass and now stood a little distance away from a low rocky rupture which could offer us cover as soon as we would be down in the plain. In big, hurried steps we thus descended from the basalt ridge, keeping a line parallel to where the ram was standing. Although we were in full view of him and he watched us intensely, he did not take flight, as he was some six hundred metres away. As soon as we were on level ground and for a moment concealed by the rocky rupture, I instructed Eric and his colleague to continue in the original direction to keep the ram focused, while I and the client hurried towards the rupture in a crouched fashion. Peeping over the rocks out of breath a short while later, we had the ram and a few other springbok, which had appeared unseen, at a stone’s throw before us. The old male was walking over towards them. Of course, they sensed us and ran off, stopping only a considerable distance away. The client now fired a somewhat hasty shot which missed its target.
group, while we at times hurried forward in crab-fashion and then again in a leopardcrawl. When the springbok had reached a little coverless flat plateau where the basalt ridge gave way to the gravel plains, they spread out in single file, thus allowing me to direct the client, who was lying flat on his belly using a little rock as rest for his rifle, onto the old male. A short time later the shot rang out, dropping the ram on the spot.
But I somehow had hoped that the desolate desert country at the foot of Brandberg Mountain could be spared from human development. This barren area of immense gravel plains where springbok have lived for thousands of years in unassuming harmony with a harsh environment, only relying on the coastal fog for moisture for most of the year, migrating over large distances if a rain shower has transformed a stretch of empty desert into a sea of grass for a short time.
Leaving the client with Eric and his colleague to guard our booty, I walked back to bring the hunting car closer, lost in heavy thought and wistful memories.
Trophy hunting can give meaning and value to such places. But sustainable conservation hunting cannot compete with big industrial interests or for that matter any serious commercial interests. Yet the last fragments of unspoiled nature have immense value for humanity at large and for our planet as such.
Having held open hunting concessions in Namibia since the early 1990s, even before the communal conservancy program was implemented, I knew that there always comes a time when, for various reasons, one has to part with such areas. The most displeasing of these reasons is when an area one has taken a great liking to, becomes destroyed in its appeal as an unspoiled natural habitat. As such I have seen the wilderness to the west of Khaudum National Park becoming transformed into agricultural land.
I cancelled my contract with Tsiseb Conservancy. Never have I left a concession with such a heavy heart. But I am not prepared to make enemies in a hopeless case for an area that is other people’s home. I do feel, however, that sensible and circumspect measures have to be taken to protect – untouchable for overriding materialistic motives – the last fractions of unspoiled nature for its own sake alone.
But it was a morning that entailed all that makes springbok hunting in the desert so grandiose. Giving the area on this side of the basalt ridge and the old male a day’s rest to calm down, we were on our way to return to our vantage post on the afternoon of the next day. We had barely reached the crest of the ridge when we espied a group of springbok which had ventured into the commiphora bushes on the slope. Crouching down, we put our binoculars before our eyes and could see that it was a bachelor group of six or seven males. And adrenalin started to rush through our systems when we noticed the old ram amongst them. Leaving Eric and his colleague behind, I and the client now started to crawl towards the springbok. The animals were slowly moving away from us, down towards the plain. It took quite a while until we had closed the gap. The biggest difficulty was to keep the client unfailingly directed onto the old ram amongst the constantly moving
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Conservation IN PERIL
THE CONSEQUENCES OF WESTERN WORLD BANS ON TROPHY HUNTING IMPORTS What would happen if countries in the Western World were to ban the import of hunting trophies? It is a question some countries are currently grappling with and one that many African countries dread. Kirsty Watermeyer
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CONSERVATION IN PERIL
T
he issue is ripe with fear in Africa because of the implications such a move would have for conservation on the continent. Currently eight out of the top 10 countries engaged in large mammal conservation use trophy hunting as an important component of their efforts. It is because of trophy hunting that many governments, landowners and local communities today choose to keep land as wildlife habitat rather than converting it to agricultural land. It is also why they choose to invest in anti-poaching measures and why they tolerate dangerous wildlife on their doorstep. The removal of these three incentive pillars would likely topple conservation in many parts of Africa. Let us take a closer look at how trophy hunting supports these incentives for nature conservation. WILDLIFE HABITAT VERSUS AGRICULTURAL LAND Africa’s picturesque landscapes provide critical habitat and ecosystem services to wildlife and people. The main threat to wildlife globally is converting land for agricultural use or for urban or industrial development. Revenue from trophy hunting provides incentives for landowners to maintain land as wildlife habitat. Land on which hunting takes place is the habitat not only of the hunted species, but also for countless animals and plants not subject to hunting. In Africa there is more land on which trophy hunting is used as a conservation tool than is covered by national parks. In addition, there are currently no feasible alternative wildlifebased land uses for most trophy hunting areas. Photo tourism is only viable in select ‘scenic’ areas, where good transport and infrastructure allow for a high volume of visitors. Another frequently suggested alternative is that local communities should apply for aid grants – but this undermines communities’ rights to be self-governing and independent. It puts them at the mercy of charity and handouts. ANTI-POACHING MEASURES Poaching or other wildlife crime is often used in the same breath as trophy hunting. This is totally wrong. Trophy hunting is legal, whereas poaching is the illegal stealing of resources. Trophy hunting is also known to help in the fight against wildlife crime. This happens for several reasons: on the one
hand hunters in the field act as a deterrent to poachers, and on the other hand the value that wildlife brings to communities through trophy hunting encourages them to rather protect this natural resource. CO-EXISTING WITH DANGEROUS ANIMALS Rural communities that live with wildlife do so in dangerous conditions, often in makeshift homes with little protection against the animals roaming outside. What stops a community from picking up arms in the face of danger? They choose to protect rather than kill if the animal posing the danger is of more worth to them alive than dead. For example, in one area in southern Tanzania, human-wildlife conflict killing involving snaring and poisoning resulted in the deaths of over 50 times more lions than would have been permitted in a trophy hunting area.
" An exaggerated focus on
trophy hunting simply draws attention away from the real threats to conservation which includes humanwildlife conflict, poaching or the disempowerment of local people in conservation."
By contrast it has been seen in areas that permit trophy hunting that generated income for the community increases their willingness to tolerate dangerous and destructive animals. THE EMOTIVE WORLD OF FALSE INFORMATION As is often the case when talking about trophy hunting, the conversation is driven by misinformation from animal rights activists, backed up by celebrities and social media. In Britain the parliamentary debate surrounding the Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill showed over 70% of arguments to be false or misleading, and ignoring conservation expertise. Ironically, Britain is one of the countries worldwide that are most depleted of nature, while the countries being discussed in parliament for banning trophy imports are among the most successful in terms of conservation. For example, Namibia, Botswana and Tanzania (all of which use
trophy hunting) are the top three countries of the world for large mammal conservation, while Britain ranks 123rd. In Africa, trophy hunting is not an imminent threat to any species. This is reflected by the Red List of Threatened Species maintained by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which is the globally recognised authority on the conservation status of the world’s wild species. An exaggerated focus on trophy hunting simply draws attention away from the real threats to conservation which includes human-wildlife conflict, poaching or the disempowerment of local people in conservation. For multiple hunted species, even threatened ones, trophy hunting has proven conservation benefits by reducing far greater threats such as habitat loss and poaching. The CEO of the Namibian Chamber of Environment, Dr. Chris Brown, notes: “Many countries, particularly former colonies, are becoming increasingly sensitive to attempts by Western industrialised countries to dictate how they use and manage their natural resources, especially when wildlife numbers are stable and increasing. Such paternalistic, arrogant and misinformed approaches will only encourage our countries to look eastwards to grow alliances and markets for our natural resources.” As part of holistic and successful conservation programs, trophy hunting enables African countries to continue to practice conservation at landscape level, while at the same time improving the lives and livelihoods of rural and indigenous peoples in a way that reduces dependence on public aid and philanthropy. When done collaboratively and transparently, trophy hunting has proven to be a positive contributor to conservation. This is why people who have the conservation of wildlife and wild spaces truly at heart, support trophy hunting even if it goes against their personal activity preferences. They understand that trophy hunting benefits conservation and that without it conservation efforts will be greatly hampered. Which begs the question, what is the real motive for banning trophy hunting imports. SOURCE: The Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill: The risks to conservation, rights and livelihoods, June 2023
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A Tale of
Two Zebras
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I have been enthralled with the beauty of Hartmann’s mountain zebra ever since I first saw one as a little boy. Their regal posture, bulky body and distinct patterns make them one of the most beautiful animals in Africa. However, it was not just their beauty that made them an attractive quarry to me. Their wary and cunning nature along with predominantly nocturnal drinking patterns made the challenge of getting a free-range stallion in broad daylight – especially with a bow – an irresistible undertaking. Jackson Engel
A
s I neared my high school graduation in Namibia, I told my dad that my bucket list hunt before heading off to university in the U.S. was for a mountain zebra. Ironically, this had also been my older sister’s graduation wish a few years earlier. The story of my own zebra hunt actually began with hers. In the scorching heat of late October my sister Haley, guided by my dad, and I set out on foot in the granite hills of northwestern Namibia with the goal of getting within reasonable rifle range of a big, free-range mountain zebra stallion. After two days, many miles walked and many failed stalks, we finally got to within 150 yards of a small herd of zebras resting on top of a granite koppie (small hill). Haley made a perfect shot on a massive stallion, and he was down in seconds. Before the hunt began, Haley had said that she wanted to do it the proper way – shooting the zebra on top of a mountain and then skinning and packing it out on foot –and she got exactly what she wished for. Since the stallion went down so quickly, he didn’t have a chance to make it off the koppie, which meant we couldn’t get the vehicle anywhere close to load him with a winch. We spent three hours skinning and carrying the giant zebra off the mountain in the 100-degree (38 Celsius) heat under a blistering midday sun. It was an adventure, to say the least, and it whetted my appetite for my own Hartmann’s mountain zebra hunt one day. As much as I wanted to hunt my mountain zebra on foot, getting one in this manner with a bow was virtually impossible on the property where I would eventually hunt mine. So, I had to settle for hunting near a water point. That, however, by no means meant that it would be an easy task. In Namibia there are some unpressured areas where zebras drink during
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daylight on a moderately consistent basis, but getting a shot at a zebra over water on a free-range property with consistent hunting pressure and an extremely high leopard population is a monumental challenge. In May of 2016, a good friend and regular hunting partner, Louw Nel, invited me to come and hunt on his property which is a mere 30-minute drive from my house in Namibia’s capital city, Windhoek. The property is a large, free-range cattle farm with a significant population of Hartmann’s mountain zebras that regularly come down from the mountains in the evening to drink water – usually long after the sun has set. During the right moon phase, however, trail cameras would show multiple herds drinking during daylight – a rarity for these elusive creatures. Getting them to come in when we wanted to hunt them was an entirely different story though, as it was nearly impossible to cheat their well-equipped noses. As they are known for doing, the zebras would almost always circle downwind of the water to ensure that it was clear of any danger before proceeding to drink. This, along with their ghost-like nocturnal habits, made for an exhausting game of cat-and-mouse. Over the course of more than a year, we tried multiple different setups and strategies to keep the zebras from smelling us – a treestand to elevate our scent, a brush blind in the riverbed to catch the zebras as they would circle downwind of the water, pop-up blinds in various different positions, different cover scents and scent eliminators, and more. It felt like we had tried just about everything until Louw finally had an ingenious idea. In the corner of the cattle kraal (enclosure) surrounding the water, there was one previously overlooked spot for a pop-up blind that could be tucked away between a dense thorn bush and the low cattle fence. There was a deep ditch behind it where the zebras almost never walked, so with
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the right wind, the odds of them smelling us went down dramatically. We hadn’t considered it until this point because it was quite far from the water – about 40 yards – and it would be an awkward uphill shot, but we didn’t have time to worry anymore. I only had one more week left before I had to go to Texas to start my four-year stint at college, and this was our last hope of getting it done. We set up the blind, brushed it in and let it sit for a while to allow the zebras to get used to it. After a few days, Louw called me and said the trail camera showed that the zebras were unbothered by the blind and coming in during daylight. Now was the time for me to make a move. That afternoon I made my way to the base of the mountains where the blind was located and waited impatiently for the zebras to show themselves. After only an hour I looked down the fence line running perpendicular to the mountains and spotted a herd of zebras crossing a clearing 300 yards away. It was one of the few times that I had actually laid eyes on them during my pursuit. It wasn’t long before it became evident that they were making their way towards the water, and I could feel knots starting to form in my stomach. I had been here before – zebras on the way in, good wind, everything perfect – but something would always go wrong. I could hear them loudly walking through the rocks as they slowly got closer and closer. Then, to my amazement, they started filing into the water point one by one without a clue as to my presence. Our plan had worked! I knew the stallion would likely be the last one to show himself, so I waited. The intensity was almost overwhelming. Finally, the stallion appeared at the edge of the clearing where he stood and scanned the area before cautiously making his way to the water. Of course, he conveniently stood facing dead away from me and offered me no shot.
A TALE OF TWO ZEBRAS
Successful Popup Blind Setup
Unsuccessful Treestand Setup
View from Successful Popup Blind Setup
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CHAMPION CONSERVATION AND EDUCATION
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ONE NAPHA MEDAL AT A TIME!
A portion of the money generated by NAPHA medals sales is used to help finance the Hunters Support Education Nature Awareness Project. The sales also support the association financially, so we can keep representing ethical and sustainable hunting. NAPHA hunting medals are a symbol of recognition and honour for hunters who have demonstrated exceptional skills, knowledge, and ethical practices in their hunting endeavours.
GAME FIELDS MEDAL The prestigious Game Fields Medal (N$900) rewards the hunting client for harvesting an exceptionally large trophy of past prime status. It is crucial for the hunters of the future that the hunters of today preserve strong gene pools by harvesting trophies that are past their prime – thereby ensuring superior genetics for future generations.
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A TALE OF TWO ZEBRAS After a few minutes the herd started to walk off, and the stallion turned to follow. I drew my bow and settled my pin on his vitals – 40 yards...45...50...55. I tried every trick in the book to get him to stop, and finally had to resort to a loud “heeeeeyyy”. The beautiful stallion briefly stopped at 60 yards, but it was too far to ethically take a shot in such a rushed situation, and after a couple of seconds he was on his way again. I couldn’t believe it... I had waited for over a year to finally have a mountain zebra stand in front of me, and now that it finally happened I had to watch him walk off into the literal sunset. Despite the obvious disappointment I went home more encouraged than ever. If it happened once, it could happen again just as easily. The moon phase and overall conditions would be the same tomorrow. The next afternoon my dad was able to join me for the first time since I’d started this pursuit. Buoyed by new-found hope from the previous evening and coupled with dad being my good luck charm, I felt like it was going to be an exciting hunt. We parked the truck and quietly snuck into the blind where we sat in nervous anticipation. As the sun slowly dipped towards the horizon, I looked down the fence line where I had first seen the zebras the evening before. Sure enough, there they were. This time, however, it was a different herd with an even bigger stallion. They followed the exact same script as the herd from yesterday and again the stallion brought up the rear.
Being a larger and older stallion than the previous one, he exercised much more caution. While the rest of the herd began to drink, the huge zebra circled downwind of the water in an attempt to smell any possible danger. This led him right in front of our blind – so close that we could hear him sniff the air – but no shot angle was presented. The stallion’s nerves eventually settled, but even then he didn’t let his guard down. While the rest of the herd drank, he tirelessly patrolled the area around the water looking for danger. Every time I tried to draw my bow, he would start walking again.
with me and for supporting me throughout the entire process. It had taken eight years of dreaming, over a year of trying, and more than 60 hard hours in a stand of one kind or another to get this Hartmann’s mountain zebra, and there is nobody I would have rather had with me when it happened. After what felt like a 15-minute eternity of precautionary waiting, we got out of the small pop-up blind to recover my dream animal. As we expected, just 40 yards from where he had been shot, the giant 700-pound stallion lay in his final resting place.
After an intense five minutes of close calls, he finally stopped broadside at 40 yards and stared directly at our blind. I was worried that he would catch sight of me drawing my bow, but this wasn’t the time for hesitation. I awkwardly squatted down so that the top cam of my bow would clear the pop-up blind’s low roof. I drew back and instinctively let the sight pin settle on the zebra’s shoulder. In a blur I watched my green-lighted nock arc through the air and disappear into his shoulder. It was over. We watched the stallion crash away on three legs with the entrance wound clearly visible on his right side. Thankfully, the shot placement was perfect.
Walking up to him was deeply emotional. I had invested so much time, energy and emotion into this hunt and it was hard to believe that it was finally over. My dad and I sat on the ground in silent appreciation – thankful for the zebra’s life, and in awe of its beauty. Louw soon came and joined us with a big smile of celebration and relief on his face. He had invested just as much in this hunt as I had, and I couldn’t have done it without him. I am so incredibly thankful for the opportunity to have hunted such a magnificent animal with so much amazing support from friends and family. I had a dream, made it my goal, pursued it, and accomplished it.
Soon we heard a dull thud as the hard-hit zebra collapsed in the soft sand of the riverbed – just out of sight. My dad and I simply looked at each other in awe and disbelief, unable to wrap our minds around what had just happened. It was surreal. I gave dad a tight hug and thanked him for being there
Just one week later I would have to get on a plane and leave all of this behind to start a new season of life, but during that moment it was the furthest thing from my mind. The little boy inside me, who had been obsessed with hunting a mountain zebra for most of his life, finally had his dream come true.
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The heart’s
hartebeest Carel van Rooyen
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It was a bitterly cold morning of -6°C when I arrived at Jamy Traut Hunting Safaris, where I would be spending the weekend with my brother and his 9-year-old son. After having some fresh hot coffee and a quick chat about the day it was time to head out into the bush.
I
have wanted to hunt the red hartebeest for some time now but I never really had the opportunity, and it was made even more difficult by the severe drought that Namibia was faced with during 2019/2020. Red hartebeest are somewhat of a fragile antelope that require good rainfall and grasslands to survive. Unfortunately, many areas lost a lot of their hartebeest due to the drought. Asking around at a few places about where it might be possible to hunt this species, almost all of the responses were that I wouldn’t be able to find anywhere now. You can imagine my relief when I heard that Jamy would be able to assist with this hunt. Braving the cold we set out with the bakkie to an area of the farm where the hartebeest were likely to be. We stopped under a camel thorn tree, grabbed our gear and started out on the long journey on foot. Walking across dunes, down into the ’streets’ – the open plains between the rolling dunes – scanning for any sign of hartebeest. Plenty of springbok and black wildebeest were found and we just had to hope that they wouldn’t get spooked and potentially spoil any chance at getting onto the hartebeest. A few dune crossings later, as we got to one of the crests, we spotted a lone hartebeest bull grazing across from us. The perfect opportunity. The only thing was that we had to cross the open street to get to him. He was close to 600 m away. We made a quick little back-track using the brush for cover and crossed the open plain. Now we were on the same dune as the bull, and slowly and quietly we made our way closer to where we had spotted him.
Slowly we moved up, trying to get as close as possible, keeping a dune between us so as to not give away our presence. The herd was roughly 500-600 metres away from us. We found a shaded spot to sit down for a while and just observe this group. It was just after noon now and many of the hartebeest were lying down. Only a few bulls were still grazing leisurely along the foot of the dune, but not in a manner that would allow us to get any closer. We were 9 km from where we had left the bakkie – yes, this definitely wasn’t a quick walk in the park – and decided to radio for someone to come and fetch us to have some lunch and reassess our next move. The idea of us now leaving this herd made me think ‘well, why not just walk straight up to them and see what happens. The wind is favourable and if we get lucky, we get lucky. If not, we leave them anyway. So why not give it a go’.
As we drew closer a steenbok saw us and dashed away. Hoping it wouldn’t scare the bull away we stopped in our tracks to assess the situation. We still didn’t have sight of the hartebeest at this point and decided to push on. A few bushes and trees later we were able to spot him through some gaps in the vegetation, still grazing and with no idea that we were there as the wind was in our favour. But suddenly, by some miraculous way, the bull spotted us and started to move down the dune, in the direction that we had just come from. Not having picked up our scent he was still calm, and this gave us the opportunity to get the shooting sticks ready. Then, just as we had the sticks out, the hartebeest changed direction and turned back towards where he had been grazing, forcing us to slightly change positions as we now had a bush in the way that would block any potential shot. Getting set up on the shooting sticks again seemed to be a bit more troublesome than I would have hoped. Moving position caused the sticks to lose their place, which meant that I wasn’t able to rest on them comfortably. The bull gave us the slip and crossed the dune. Definitely an exciting moment! Following his tracks we noticed that he had joined a large herd. That isn’t an ideal situation, as those of you who have hunted hartebeest will know. With the many eyes of the herd – and hartebeest have very good eyesight – it would be extremely difficult to get within shooting distance. Making it even more difficult was the fact that they were grazing and lying down in the open plains with very little cover for us.
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From where we had been sitting and observing the herd we set off down to the street, trying to keep as much cover as possible between us, but there wasn’t much. We were starting to make some ground and felt as though this plan was working. Even some eland that were grazing close to the hartebeest and gave us a few glares didn’t seem too bothered by these strange two legged creatures walking towards them.
couldn’t be. ‘Could that bush really have stopped the bullet?’ I asked myself, and Herold. Surely not. We walked up to where the bull had been standing, followed the track up the hill for a little while, but no sign of any blood. Now it wasn’t just disappointing but somewhat laughable how the day had turned out so far. Was this simply not my day?
The hartebeest remained calm, but started moving further, keeping a good 400 m between us and them. Crouching as low as possible we However, it is priceless spending time out in the bush, being able to kept on pushing forward. My tall frame certainly didn’t enjoy all of that walk and stalk these beautiful animals – even after a day like this. I am too much, but I hoped that it would pay off in the end. The majority sure that if we had just conducted a hunt from the bakkie things would of the herd had by now gone down another dune, but with three bulls have worked out differently and I would probably have been able to standing on the crest looking at us, we sat down and waited for them shoot the hartebeest bull that I was after. But I did not want to just to cross over too. We didn’t want to disturb them too much but rather shoot a bull, I wanted to hunt one. wanted them to cross over in their own time. A few minutes passed and the first bull was on his way. Now we just had to sit still and hope for Two weeks later I returned to Jamy Traut Safaris, this time determined the other two to follow soon. Once they were not to leave empty-handed. Piet, my guide, and over the dune and out of sight would mean that I set out early in the morning in search of fresh " I am sure that if we we could pick up the pace again and try to close tracks. Perhaps we would even be able to spot the gap between us. a lone bull or small herds. As it happens, soon had just conducted a enough we indeed spotted a few different groups As the last bull crossed the crest we got up. Me of hartebeest, left our vehicle under some shade hunt from the bakkie and Herold, my guide, actually ran to get to and made our way over the dunes to try and stay the crest of the dune as fast as possible, hoping downwind and get as close as possible. things would have that the hartebeest would again be grazing worked out differently leisurely on the other side. As we got to the top Crossing one of the streets towards a group they were indeed doing just that. We crouched that we could see bedded down on the other and I would probably down behind some cover and tried to make side, we knew that there should be some of out which of them were bulls. We spotted a them on the same side of the dune that we were have been able to good one and set up the sticks. Having learnt traversing, but that we were just not able to see from my earlier mistake I decided to use only them. Making our way across the open plain, shoot the hartebeest two of the sticks as a bipod, as opposed to Piet stopped in his tracks and pointed out a few bull that I was after. But bulls that were on our side of the dune, where we struggling with the tripod. After running to the dune and crossing it at a fast pace my thought they ought to be. We backtracked slowly, I did not want to just heart rate was definitely at a peak, let alone the as we were now in the open with hartebeest both adrenaline rush of the hunt. I struggled to get in front of us and to our left. As we got back shoot a bull, I wanted steady but knew it could be now or never. The to the dune we had a similar situation as the shot fired high and over the top of the bull. previous time, making our way across the top of to hunt one.” Definitely a big disappointment. I hoped that the dune, taking cover behind all the different the afternoon would play out differently. bushes and shrubs that were available. As we got closer and closer, we knew it could not be far to We headed back to the lodge and refuelled the small herd that was resting. With the other our bodies after the long morning stroll through the dunes. When herd across from us, staring our way, we just had to hope that they we set out again in the afternoon we decided to try a different area. wouldn't run and spook the others in front of us. Soon enough we came across a different herd of hartebeest. Again we left the bakkie to stalk this herd. The wind was still favourable. Another déjà vu moment: a steenbok popped out in front of us, exactly The hartebeest didn’t know we were there and continued grazing the same situation that we had been in two weeks before. Piet waved, further away from us but at a pace that enabled us to slowly follow trying to move the steenbok off in the direction that we wanted him to behind them through the brush and over the hills. As they started move, instead of directly running into the hartebeest. Lucky for us he making their way up a hillside we spotted a very good bull towards did just that. Now we were able to lay eyes on a large bull lying beneath the back of the herd. We set up beneath a tree with the sticks and I an acacia tree, roughly 300 metres ahead of us. It was somewhat of a got ready and focused on the bull. He was standing behind a bush ‘now or never’ moment. We had to tread carefully to ensure that the with only the top half of his neck and head sticking out. Equipped bull wouldn’t spot us too early and run off. with a 180gr 30-06 calibre I felt comfortable enough to go through the bush and aim just behind where his shoulder would be. Breath It was time to get uncomfortable again. We lay flat on our bellies and in. Out. Squeeze. The shot rang out but all we could hear was the leopard-crawled closer to the bull. Initially I wanted to shoot off my cracking sound of a stick breaking. No reaction from the bull. It backpack as this would provide for a stable position, but dragging it
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THE HEART'S HARTEBEEST
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THE HEART'S HARTEBEEST along was too much of a risk because of the noise, so we dropped it together with the shooting sticks. My rifle now resting horizontally in my arms, I pushed myself forward with my legs and elbows, trying not to get too much dust and sand on the rifle or scope. We were making good progress, every now and then just popping our heads up to see if the bull was still in the same position. On the crest of the dune there was a small tuft of grass that I thought could be a good place to shoot over, perhaps using Piet’s cap as a resting point for the rifle. We crawled further to this grass patch and saw that the bull had gotten up, looking directly at us. It really was now or never. Piet decided to crawl in front and lie down on the grass, giving me the opportunity to rest my rifle across his back. But this position was too low and through my scope I just stared into the grass without any visual on the bull. All this time the hartebeest was still standing there, staring right at us. Piet arched his back slightly to give me more elevation and this provided the perfect height for me to rest my cross hairs on the front of the bull’s chest as he was still looking directly at us, not giving us a broadside shot. When both myself and Piet managed to control our breathing, I pulled the trigger and the shot rang off. The bull jumped in the air and I knew I had put one in him. He took off running to the right. Not wanting to take any chances of potentially needing to track this bull for hours, I took another shot from Piet’s back at the running bull, hitting him high on the shoulder and putting him straight down. The absolute relief, happiness, nerves, stress and all the other emotions took hold of me at once. I had finally managed to hunt the bull of my dreams. A true hunt it was, and a massive thanks to Piet, Herold, and everyone from Jamy Traut Hunting Safaris for giving me this opportunity.
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ADDRESS -----------------------------------------Mobile: +264 (0)81-394 9311 (Robert) +264 (0)81-394 9330 (Stefanie) P.O Box 21, Witvlei, Namibia E-mail: info@okasandu.com
ELZANNE ERASMUS
Website: www.okasandu.com
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I dream of the
Grey Ghost OF THE NAMIBIAN BUSHVELD
T
he landscape of the Namibian bushveld is like a grand theatre: an expansive, sun-baked stage where dramas of life and survival unfold. My greatest dream as an avid hunter is to one day fell a stately old kudu bull. With weekends frequently spent out in the Namibian wilderness hunting for mostly subsistence, the dream is fuelled by the beauty of nature and being surrounded by the rugged bush. After each successful hunt my subconscious mind is fuelled further and the dream becomes vivid in my slumbers. The pursuit of an elusive old kudu bull known as the Grey Ghost. From first light the bushveld seems to pulsate with life. The mighty camel thorn trees stand sentinel in the morning haze, while the delicate twitter of birds echoes through the vast scenery. The air is laden with the scent of dust and shrubs, a fragrance familiar to anyone who has spent time in the African wild. We stalk through the bush with hushed footfalls, our eyes scanning the environment for the slightest hint of our quarry. A sense of respect lingers in my heart for this majestic creature, a symbol of survival and tenacity. It is his kingdom, and I am an outsider – a hunter seeking him not just for the thrill, but to acknowledge the intricate dance between man and nature. Suddenly my guide's hand gesture freezes me in my tracks. A rustle in the bush. Something
darts away in the distance, its eyes wide with alarm. A profound silence follows. The only sound is the pounding of my heart, matching the rhythm of this ancient African land. Then, he appears – the Grey Ghost, materialising from the bush like a spectre, its spiralled horns rising like a crown. Looking at him through my binoculars, I marvel at his majestic aura. The spiralling horns speak of battles won, of seasons survived and of a wisdom only granted by time. His eyes hold a calmness that belies the harsh realities of the bushveld, a testament to the Ghost's endurance. The moment seems to stretch into an eternity as we hold our breath, appreciating this venerable relic of the wild. As the Ghost starts to move away, I raise my rifle. A brief moment of hesitation sweeps over me, but my guide’s quiet nod reassures me. This is not merely about sport. It is a matter of balance, of giving and taking. By hunting we participate in the cycle of life that has been in motion since the beginning of time. The shot echoes, mirroring the harsh reality of the wild: it is a dance of life and death, a game of survival. And suddenly I am ripped away from the tranquillity of the bushveld, the sharp edges of reality coming into focus as I awake from my dream. The Ghost, elusive as ever, stays behind in the realm of my slumbers, a silent spectre roaming free in the theatre of my subconscious.
In the cold light of day I am again a hunter without a trophy, left with the echoes of a dream that feels as real as the Namibian soil I have tread so often. But each dream of the Grey Ghost strengthens my resolve, fuels my passion. It isn't just about the thrill of the hunt. It is the connection with nature, the raw correlation of life and death that calls me back time and again. The Grey Ghost, even in my dreams, is more than a target – it is a symbol of resilience, of the unfettered beauty of life, of the ruthless truth of the wild. Every pursuit in my dreams, every rustle of the bushveld, every stare-down with those ancient, wise eyes – it is all part of a primordial dance that connects me, not just as a hunter, but as a participant in this grand, unscripted theatre of the wild. And so, each morning, as I awake from dreams of the Grey Ghost, I carry with me a piece of the Namibian bushveld. I carry the scent of the dust, the heat of the African sun, the thrill of the chase. For in my heart I know the essence of hunting. It is more than a sport, more than a pastime – it is an acknowledgement of life's continuous ebb and flow, a tribute to our ancestral roots and the harsh, splendid nature of the wild. Even in the confines of the city, I remain a part of the wild, a part of the Namibian bushveld's story. Each dream is a whisper, a call back to the bush, to the dance with the Grey Ghost. And one day, I know I will answer.
Elzanne McCulloch, inspired by the oral narratives of Sean McCulloch.
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Chasing the
ELAND
It was an early start to the day with a roughly six-hour journey heading north-east from Windhoek, to the bushveld region east of Grootfontein. This is an area that I had only been to once before, in search of the same elusive eland. I had no success then and hoped it would turn out differently this time. Carel van Rooyen
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Just after midday we arrived at Elandpro Safaris, where the Breedt family of farm Mooilaagte greeted us with their kindness and hospitality. Some boerewors was prepared on the fire for lunch, and then we were ready for the shooting range to ensure the rifles were adjusted before venturing into the bush. My dad and I both shot at the 100m target with the .375 H&H that we would be carrying into the veld with us, and everything was on point. Now we knew that success was only up to us. Before it got too late in the afternoon we wanted to see if we could find any fresh tracks that we would be able to follow. After some driving, Gerrit and Ben, the tracker, assessed various tracks and we set out on a spoor from earlier in the day that led into the thicket. The bush in this area is dense, the sand thick and eland is a very difficult animal to pursue on foot, making it all the more thrilling. The tracks kept heading downwind, allowing the elands to smell anything that would come up from behind them. This made it even more challenging for us. After some time we could see that the elands had started to run: their tracks no longer made finely treaded imprints, but rather scattered the sand. This was most probably after picking up our scent. By now the sun was on its way down and we decided to call it a day.
The next morning by 6am the fire was already burning in the lapa area, coffee and rusks were ready to fuel the days’ adventure that lay ahead. Soon we were back in the veld, on fresh tracks, and we set out on foot in search of these elusive animals once again. Watching Gerrit follow the tracks is like seeing a jigsaw puzzle being solved by a mastermind – there are so many different tracks that overlap and cross paths, and to the untrained eye they all look the same. Being able to stay on track, in the true sense of the word, and seeing how we got closer and closer to the elands made this an even more incredible experience. Again, the wind was not in our favour but we pushed on. Fresh droppings and chewed leaves meant we were closing the gap. It felt as if the elands would be just beyond the next bushes, but in this dense bush visibility was low. The next moment we heard the herd crashing through the mopane less than 20 m away from us, running across to our left and further off into the distance. Once more they had picked up our scent and left us in the dust.
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CHASING THE ELAND
We decided to try a different area of the farm, and not too long after getting there Gerrit and Ben had picked up some fresh tracks from the back of the Cruiser. As we got off and started walking into the bush I heard the cracking of mopane not far from us and knew that now the elands were close by. For the first time the wind was in our favour. Could our luck have changed with the wind? Walking through sand is not an easy feat, and it was already starting to heat up. In the thick bush, without a breeze, the humidity felt much worse. At this stage we had already walked some 5 km. We pushed on, Gerrit continued to follow the same fresh tracks and we saw more signs that we were closing the gap. We stopped for a brief moment and Gerrit advised us to make every effort to tread as softly and quietly as possible. We should focus on every step to avoid the small sticks and dry leaves that lie scattered everywhere, and we should not look up searching for the elands. That was his job.
made it to the end of this block and Gerrit told us to wait while he would slowly step out of the bush and scan the fence line to see if the elands were there. He came back and told us that indeed they were there, but still a long way off. We had to move just a bit further through the bush to get closer to them. Next, when Gerrit poked out his head to see how close we had gotten he hastily whispered for me to come quickly, that they were on their way. I wanted to grab the shooting sticks but Gerrit said to just leave them and kneel down in the bush. Everything started to happen very quickly. I made my way to the edge of the thicket of bush, knelt down and brought the 375 H&H up to my left shoulder, right elbow on the knee. Safety was now off and I looked through the scope. Through the bush I could see this big blue chest starting to fill up my scope. The eland wasn’t more than 15 m away from me and moving slowly towards us. Even with the fixed 4X scope, I couldn’t see more than his chest. No head, no body. I knew that was the perfect bull.
At this point my heart was in my throat, beating faster and faster, and my breath became heavier and heavier. Not from the strenuous walking, but from knowing that we could stumble upon the herd at any moment. Eventually we made it to the last block where the elands would pass through before reaching the farm’s fence. We knew they had to be here and this was our time to win the battle. The wind was still in our favour so we kept pushing on at a faster pace. We had almost
I focused my scope on the first opening of the bushes where the eland’s chest would be exposed, all my adrenaline had left my body and I was just laser-focused on the moment. As he stepped out I slowly squeezed the trigger. Aiming at the middle of the left side of his chest as he was coming from my right. I knew the shot was good. I got up and reloaded. The next moment this one-tonne hulk came directly towards us, stumbling through the sand and bushes right into the direction where Gerrit
and myself were standing. He was less than 10 m away from us. I was ready to fire another round but Gerrit said it was not necessary and pulled me to the side, out of the way of this steam train pushing towards us. Luckily a thick enough bush between us threw the eland off his track and he stumbled further into the bush behind us. My dad then said that we should check whether the rest of the herd were still there for him to get a shot. He grabbed the shooting sticks and positioned himself. Now quite a distance away, 250 m or so, a group of around eight eland were trotting away from us. My dad got on the sticks and at a quick whistle, one of the bulls stopped and turned towards us. Quartering slightly away and to the left, my dad put in a confident shot. From the bull’s reaction I could see that this was a solid shot, but the bull also ran off into the bushes. We started following the tracks of the bull that I had shot, and soon we came onto a trail of blood in the sand. The massive animal lay roughly 50 m into the bush. The feeling of seeing this giant finally down after putting so much effort into stalking, cannot be put into words. Being able to share this moment with my dad and family was unbelievable. We then went looking for the bull my dad had shot, and soon found his beautiful quarry at about the same distance into the bush. Two shots and two elands later we were definitely two happy hunters.
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Hunting for
memories
As hunters we always claim that hunting is conservation and that it is a very important tool to ensure the continuation of conserving wild places. We mainly link this to some form of financial incentive, be it for rural communities, for land owners or for ourselves as hunters. “If it pays, it stays” is the almost over-used credo. “Only if game has value will it be worth protecting”. Hagen Denker
P
ersonally, I have a different take on this: not an individual animal or species is what gives value and reason to hunting, but nature as a whole. And pristine nature at that. Conservation cannot merely be justified and defined by a headcount of the number of game animals present at a place. Conservation must look at the health of nature and the originality – for lack of a better word – of nature, how each species has its place in a habitat and plays its role in the life cycle of an ecosystem. Hunting – and the financials that inadvertently come with it – should be about the experience, about experiencing nature in all its layers. From a very early stage in my
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career I personally had difficulty to “hunt for money”. A considerable portion of the revenue from a hunting safari is traditionally made with trophy fees. If things get tight towards the end of a safari, one may get into a moral dilemma if it happens that an animal is “talked older than it is” to justify shooting it to collect the much needed trophy fee – and yes, I am not innocent of having done this. I have, however, developed a mindset over the years and especially since I started hunting on my own account. I promised myself that I would endeavour to only hunt an animal that actually is past its prime and has had the chance to pass on its genes. Very recently I dropped two hunters (a married couple) at the airport for their
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flight back home. I always accompany my hunters until all their luggage is checked in and all is in order with their firearms. While Thomas was taking care of the paperwork for the firearms I waited outside the office with Brigitte. I overheard how the friendly police officer enquired how many shots Thomas fired over the course of the 10-day hunt with me, as he seemed to suspect an error in the number Thomas had entered in the form. I was called into the office and the police officer asked me whether Thomas and his wife hunted with me and if they really only fired three shots. I confirmed that. “What did they shoot?” – “Only one springbok” – “Only one springbok?!” – “Yes”, I said. “Very good hunters and a very good shot”. The police officer had to take
my word for it and cleared the rifles for the flight back. What may sound like a very unsuccessful hunt to most hunters, was probably one of the best safaris I have ever guided. Thomas and Brigitte had booked an all-inclusive hunt with me, with the possibility of bagging a kudu (Thomas) and a springbok (Brigitte) as their preferred quarry. They paid for the experience to hunt with me in this arid area, with low but stable game populations that fluctuate with the seasons and the long-term conditions of the veld. I conduct my hunts from a simple tented camp on the banks of a smallish dry riverbed overlooking the Erongo Mountain panorama. The hunting area is a magnificently diverse piece of land, ranging from granite boulder mountains and rolling rocky hills to hauntingly beautiful fossil flood plains, interspersed with small granite outcrops – koppies – along big dry riverbeds with their lush forest-like vegetation, meandering south-westwards through the ancient pristine surroundings.
younger bulls were fighting for the attention of the cows, while the mature kudu bulls still kept well hidden. We found many skulls and horns of kudu in altitudes that would seem inaccessible to any kudu, but the grey ghost – truly giving merit to its nickname – did not make an appearance. Thomas and Brigitte kept their spirits high and enjoyed every moment out in the bush. Despite our best efforts we were unable to find a suitable bull, and on the last evening in the last light we made an approach on a group of springbok rams. Thomas was lucky enough to bag an old ram. Thomas’ words, although he had successfully hunted in Namibia before, were: “maybe one should start small”. Upon farewell they told me that they had had the best time of their lives and were overwhelmed by the experience, by nature and by the way of hunting. They couldn’t imagine hunting any other way anymore. This is why hunting matters.
We were primarily looking for an old kudu bull – I only hunt individuals that are truly past their prime – and spent the ten hunting days exploring almost every corner of the hunting area. Our first kudu, and our first kudu bull, we saw on the third hunting day: a prime bull at the height of its existence, coming down to the majestic Khan River with his harem to feed on the dropping pods of the ana tree. It was a truly big bull. He would have been hunted on any other hunt, but I explained to Thomas that this bull still needs to pass his genes on for another two years or so. Thomas accepted this and agreed without a second thought. We watched the herd of kudu slowly making their way along the riverbed. When they disappeared under the large canopy of ana, leadwood and umbrella thorn, we continued our search for the old one. The following days saw us in the farthest corners of the hunting area, at times glassing from some high peaks, in cold and uncomfortable drizzle rain, without catching as much as a glimpse of an animal, let alone a kudu. At other times we spent our days in rocky outcrops overlooking vast areas, observing giraffe, gemsbok, springbok, Hartmann's mountain zebra and also kudu. But as we were still early in the rut, mostly the
On a previous safari some years ago, when I was still hunting on my father’s property in the Erongo Mountains, I guided a 72-year-old Swiss hunter who had always dreamt about hunting kudu in the mountains over open sights. He was physically very fit and tough as nails. He never complained and only had positive words to spare, even after losing his footing in loose rubble or getting caught up in thorn trees in pitch-black darkness descending from high mountains towards the hunting truck in the evening. Somewhere around the 5th day we had seen a suitable kudu bull from the distance but were not able to catch up with him and his harem before they disappeared in thick brush. We now searched for this bull over the next days – with a scenic break to a different area every now and then – but simply could not find him again. On the 11th and last day of the safari we were up above the area where we had seen him before and looked across a rugged plateau in front of us. After a couple of hours of unsuccessful glassing we decided to have a look beyond the plateau behind the ridge there, but to no avail. We decided to return home when I saw a curious shape underneath a scraggly tree in the middle of the plateau quite some distance to the east. One look through the
binos confirmed: ‘our bull’! The bull and his harem were under a rocky outcrop, but we could not use this outcrop for an approach as a strong east wind was blowing, which would give us away immediately. We decided to circle around the kudus and position ourselves south of them in the hope that they would move past us towards the waterhole at the foot of the plateau mountain. We made ourselves comfortable on a granite bank some 330 yards from the kudus, who had in fact moved a little closer to where we were now. But of course they were still way too far for a shot over open sights, especially with a strong side wind. The kudus didn’t move further until early afternoon and we eventually decided – considering that it was the last hunting day – to slowly make an approach on them, hoping that the strong wind would swallow any sounds we would make. Amazingly, after a slow, low-crouched stalk we were within excellent shooting distance of the old bull. We just had to take one or two steps to the left, to get a clear view of him. Said and done, rifle at the ready we inched leftwards. The kudu bull stood angled away from us, looking in our direction – what a sight, what an animal! For a few moments we were able to enjoy this sight before the whole herd bolted off and in no time disappeared over the ridge in the distance. The hunter had not wanted to risk such an angled shot, and now we had a long hike down the mountain before us, even more of a feat when all the tension has left the body. But also in this case the hunter was content with how things had turned out. Although he undeniably would have liked to bag a kudu bull, he treasured the experience and the time shared hunting. This is why hunting matters. Lastly, I would like to relate another story of a kudu hunt I guided in the Erongo Mountains – this time a successful one. My hunter, Mike from the US, had hunted in South Africa and Namibia before with a big outfit but was never truly happy and satisfied with the hunting experience. I had already been in contact with him for a few years until he eventually booked a hunt. During our safari he often reminisced about his previous
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traditional. no fuss. just adventure.
Hagen Denker hagen@erongosafaris.com kaiuwe-hagen.com
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- tented safaris at the foot of the Erongo Mountains -
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- indigenous game -
- fair chase -
HUNTING FOR MEMORIES
hunts in Africa and told me of a day where he was hunting for kudu in the northwest of the country. The hunting party was driving around in the hunting concession when they spotted a herd of kudu half-way up a mountain. As there was a decent-looking bull with the herd, Mike suggested stalking up the mountain to take a closer look. To his disappointment the hunting guide replied that the kudus were too far up the mountain and they could not go up there. What a different experience Mike was going to have in the Erongo Mountains! He wanted to bag a kudu bull of 53” or more, but more importantly to him was the how and that the bull would have to be past prime. The safari took place in late May, but the first cold spell of the year had not moved in yet. It was still quite warm, making for an added challenge here in the mountains, especially since we scaled almost every possible peak during the course of the 10-day safari. On the second day we happened upon a huge kudu bull (around the 60” mark). We were relatively close and could observe him for quite a while. I still vividly remember the day: it was one of those autumn days where the veld has changed colour already, the different hues of green make for an exceptional setting and the weather is beautifully mild. A long-tailed paradise whydah was doing a late aerial dance above as the kudu bull slowly moved along and up a mountain. He was just about in his prime, too young to hunt. We enjoyed the sight and let him pass. A few days later we had a very exhausting morning, unsuccessfully in search of our quarry high up in the mountains. When we reached the truck in the afternoon, Mike exclaimed that this had been one of his toughest and most beautiful days hunting. For days like these, I hunt.
Towards the end of the safari, we went on an extensive hike to one of the most remote places in the hunting area, usually an excellent kudu area if all else fails. We didn’t see a single kudu all day until late in the afternoon when I spotted a herd a great distance away in another remote valley. It was very late but I at least wanted to try and get a closer look and confirm that a bull was with the group. We made it to the edge of the deep valley and found the kudus again on the far end on a steep slope. The sun was fast approaching the
" Every step hurt and when I made my last trip with the skull and horns in bleak moonlight, I could barely walk. Yet I was content. Hunting matters. For so many reasons.”
horizon and it was very difficult to make out and judge anything on the slope which was already covered in deep shade. There was a bull with the herd, but except for seeming to have a robust stature I could not say anything more. As darkness fell, we made our difficult return through the rugged mountainscape down to the hunting vehicle. As I had developed what later turned out to be a very painful shin splint, we took it easier the next day. On the last day of the safari we were out early in the morning on the rim of the deep valley where we had seen the kudus before. On
our ascent we spooked an ancient kudu bull with both horns broken off after the first turn (later that year I would find his skull). From our lookout we soon spotted a kudu herd down in the thick brush of the valley. The steep slope on which the kudu had been two days ago lay east, to our left. To our right was a massive granite mountain and we decided to climb the mountain to get closer to the kudus. After a lot of back and forth between big boulders we had a good vantage point – only to see how the kudus were moving up the opposite slope. But at least we could now properly judge them and there was indeed an old, suitable bull amongst the herd, as well as a few young satellite bulls trying to make a move. We observed the herd for a while and when we were sure that they were settled into a ravine we decided to make an approach on them. We retraced our steps past our first lookout and slowly moved up the slope in a ravine parallel to the one the kudus were in. When we were at about the level of the kudus, we stalked onto the ridge. Of course the kudus had noticed something and most of the cows had already moved across the ridge. We couldn’t see the bull but I was sure that he was still coming - and quickly put up the shooting sticks. Mike got ready. Soon the bull appeared and when he paused for a moment, the shot rang out and the bull dropped in his tracks. What a hunt and what a beautiful, old bull! On top of it, the view from here was breath-taking and awe-inspiring. As Mike and the San hunting assistant started skinning the bull, I made my way back to the car to go and get some more helping hands to carry out all the meat. As the adrenaline and tension ebbed off, the pain in my shin returned. Every step hurt and when I made my last trip with the skull and horns in bleak moonlight, I could barely walk. Yet I was content. Hunting matters. For so many reasons.
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THE COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVE on the importance of hunting for conservation Kirsty Watermeyer
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“T
he community voice is consistently in support of hunting here in Namibia. Here we have around eighty-six conservancies and eighty percent of these have some form of hunting in their conservation areas. Even those communities that do not have hunting in their conservancies understand that it is not only an economic benefit but it also is a conservation tool.” These are the words of Maxi Pia Louis, the Director of NACSO (the Namibian Association of CBNRM Support Organisations), whose role is to assist conservancies and other rural associations to manage their natural resources for their own benefit and to enhance conservation through Community Based Natural Resource Management activities (CBNRM). Maxi is passionate about working with communities in rural areas and has dedicated herself to the CBNRM Programme for the last 15 years in government and non-governmental agencies. She is an expert on topics related to the community perspective. When asked what she feels is the community voice on the topic of hunting, Maxi replied: “Communities want to be allowed to use wildlife in a sustainable way. Hunting benefits communities because it is good conservation, it preserves wildlife areas and it is a good means of making sure communities tolerate wildlife. Namibia is a dry country, we need to ensure there are not too many animals using the same resources in one area. This comes down to the sustainable management of wildlife.”
the full replacement value of their assets. There is a price you pay when you live with wildlife.” Understanding the personal sacrifice communities make to live with wild animals should warrant an understanding in their desire to generate an income from their land. As Maxi explains there are also other burdens to living with wildlife, including fear. “It’s frightening to live with wild animals, plus they can create health risks. Buffalo in the Zambezi Region carry diseases which can be transferred to community livestock.”
“Here in Namibia, the sustainable use of wildlife is a conservation model. Around the world, and even here in Namibia, there is a lot of misinformation being spread by " Here in Namibia, animal rights groups because it suits their agenda. They say that hunting the sustainable is a colonial concept, but I know that hunting was around way before use of wildlife is a colonialism. Our ancestors used to hunt”, Maxi says. This is true of all conservation model. human beings across the globe. Our ancestors hunted for subsistence Around the world, and because it was essential to the even here in Namibia, survival of early humans.
there is a lot of misinformation being spread by animal rights groups because it suits their agenda.”
There are communities in Namibia whose entire livelihoods depend on hunting. If hunting were to stop there, these communities would face a future with zero income and, as Maxi explains, this includes direct income (cash in hand) as well as support for their projects and more. Communities who live with wildlife often do so at huge personal cost. “It’s the price you pay when living with wildlife”, says Maxi. “It has an impact in terms of human-wildlife conflict. Communities have to share their resources with wildlife. They have to share the grazing or water for their stock, and often these resources are already limited. Plus, should they lose stock or crops to wild animals, they would only get an offset fee and not
According to Maxi the vast difference lies in overuse and that colonial powers overused wildlife by hunting excessively and beyond the capacity that nature could replenish. This is very different from how hunting is done in Namibia today. As explained by NASCO documentation, Namibian hunting follows strict guidelines. It is governed by a national legal framework with clear systems of control and reporting requirements. The guidelines are also intended to warrant that only free-roaming, indigenous species in natural habitats large enough to ensure healthy population dynamics are targeted. In addition, hunting off-takes are sustainable by being based on species-specific, scientifically accepted annual quotas for the hunted population. Through these and other criteria, conservation hunting creates clear incentives to adopt wildlife management as a land use. As Maxi says, “When a good system is regulated, you make sure it is sustainable. We use hunting as a conservation model”. And this is seen in the wildlife population numbers in Namibia: they have increased and are stable.
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PATIENCE REWARDED:
Persevering on a hunt on foot Hunting on foot is not an easy task. But it has shaped me and played a crucial role in my early hunting career. Diethelm Metzger
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t was the first time I hosted hunters on the farm after taking over the business from my parents in 1995. I had guided hunters before, for others and for my dad, but this was the first time I had clients of my own. The group was composed of three Frenchmen. From the outset, one of them emphasised that he only practices spot-and-stalk hunting. This was a change for me as I had grown up shooting from blinds or, if necessary, from the vehicle. However, this approach to hunting resonated with me. Since it was their wish, I made it my mission to cater to their preference. We managed to successfully stalk and hunt everything they desired to kill. This was a significant turning point in my professional career and
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since then I have maintained the practice of pursuing proper hunting methods and not shooting from vehicles. Spot-and-stalk hunting has its fair share of challenges, but where there is a will there is always a way. When I guide a hunter who is slower or less skilled in the bush, I offer assistance and will adapt our approach accordingly, ensuring they still get the opportunity to make a successful shot. The only exception we made to our stalking rule was when we had an experienced hunter who was paralysed by an accident. Obviously it was impossible for him to stalk in the bush, so we created a ramp to get his wheelchair onto the vehicle. It was a gratifying experience to help him achieve something he thought he could never do again.
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CONSERV HUNTING
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www.makadi-safaris.com
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We invite you to a professional, sustainable and always ethical hunting Safari in Namibia, where Moments count and memories are made. - Katja and Diethelm Metzger
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PERSEVERING ON A HUNT ON FOOT
Our hunting approach is similar to that of predators in the wild. We avoid shooting from vehicles and instead stalk animals in the field and around water sources. Typically, we stalk during the morning hours, take a break around lunchtime in a blind, and if an opportunity arises, we shoot from there. The feeling of success is unique when you bag a trophy after walking, stalking or crawling through the wilderness. One particularly memorable hunt took around four hours. While driving through a mountainous area on a neighbouring farm which we rented at the time, we spotted a beautiful kudu bull with some cows. As soon as we stopped the kudus disappeared over a ridge and we lost sight of them. Far from defeated, we decided to try our luck and started stalking the kudu, but the wind wasn't in our favour, so we had to circle around and ended up losing track of the animals. However, we stumbled upon a pangolin during our detour, which kept us captivated for a while. Almost forgetting our main objective, we slowly continued forward to a spot where I judged the kudus to be by now. As we stopped in a sort of crevice, we saw the backside of a kudu cow about 80 yards away in a thicket. After squatting for two and a half hours, the cow vanished. I never never saw anything come out on the other side of the thicket, neither to the left nor to the right. At this stage, all I could do was assume the kudus were still there. Suddenly this kudu bull steps out and he is such a magnificent creature. He moves over the crest of the small hill and just stands there, almost looking at us, but not quite. It was the most beautiful picture I have ever seen of a kudu bull. I told the hunter, “it’s a good bull, take the shot”. She made a great shot and the kudu ran down into a little ravine and that is where he died. As we couldn't reach him by truck, we had to skin and dissect him right there in the ravine to be able to carry him out. What stands out is that the hunt for this kudu bull lasted for over four hours. But the entire process, including retrieving the carcass, took around six to seven hours, making it a daylong endeavor. In terms of time spent, this was the animal that took me the longest to hunt. Looking back, I find hunting kudus to be consistently challenging, and that is what I enjoy the most. I believe that professional hunters truly prove their skill if they can successfully hunt a kudu bull or an eland in free-range conditions and on foot. Looking back, I have had countless hunting experiences, and I can remember each and every one of them. Over my 44 years of hunting, I have come to cherish the challenge of hunting kudus the most. While dangerous game like buffalo and elephants offer their own challenges, the pursuit of kudus on foot in their natural habitat is what truly excites me. It is a test of a PH's expertise, and I take pride in being able to guide hunters through such thrilling experiences.
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" For us the horns are worthless, for poachers they are millions of dollars. Only trophy hunting adds value to the horns.” – Pohamba Shifeta Minister of Environment, Forestry and Tourism
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RHINO HORNS:
Worthless Commodities or Conservation Currency?
The first to attend to the black rhino which was darted from the helicopter in the background, are MEFT´s Chief Conservation Scientist and National Rhino Coordinator and the Chief Control Warden and Custodian Manager. Once the helicopter landed, the veterinarian and members of the dehorning team made sure the animal was breathing normally, that heartbeat and body temperature were within limits, and started measuring the bull.
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The silhouette of a rhino bull's head casts a striking shadow on the body of a female rhino at the Okaukuejo waterhole in Etosha National Park, as they both quench their thirst. This popular spot offers tourists an opportunity to witness rhinos in their natural habitat.
It is dry and dusty in Etosha National Park in May 2023. The rainy season has come to an end. Grazing does not look good since rainfall has been below average. Two helicopters take off, one with a veterinarian on board who will dart rhinos, in the other one Namibia’s Minister of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT), Pohamba Shifeta, as well as the dehorning team. Some of the team members and some observers have to follow in vehicles. Under normal conditions the dehorning team and its equipment travel in the two choppers. Using vehicles means that part of the team needs more time to get to the spot where the animal has gone down, and bundu bashing (driving through rough and difficult terrain) takes its toll on the off-road vehicles. Dirk Heinrich
O
ne of the pilots has spotted a black rhino (Diceros bicornis bicornis) and alerts the teams over the radio. Soon the rhino is down in the thick thorny bush and everybody has to walk quite a distance to get to the young female. Within twenty minutes the rhino is dehorned by Environment Minister Pohamba Shifeta, DNA samples are taken, any small wounds treated, the horns and off-cuts sealed in a plastic bag in the presence of a police officer, the animal measured and marked. Everybody gets back into the vehicles and helicopters, the veterinarian injects an antidote and a few minutes later the rhino wakes up and disappears into the bush. Half an hour later the next rhino, a big bull who had been dehorned five years before for the first time, is down. And again the Minister cuts off the horn with an electric saw. Since 2014 close to 2000 rhinos have been dehorned in Namibia. This year (2023) nearly 200 have been dehorned already. Minister Shifeta was present at the end of May and dehorned two black rhino himself, the aforementioned young cow and old bull. Holding the horn of the bull in his hand, Minister Shifeta said: “This horn is totally worthless to us, but to poachers and their syndicates it is worth millions. Only trophy hunting adds value to a rhino horn but we have
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to cut the horns off to make the rhino worthless for the poachers.” The Minister added that rhinos are valuable for tourism but now tourists have to look at rhinos without horns because of the criminal and illegal doings of poachers, their syndicates and the buyers of horns – a useless material. “We rather have living, dehorned black and white rhinos in the country than those with horns which get killed for their horn,” Shifeta said. “If we could sell those horns that we have cut off our animals to make them worthless for poachers, we could earn much needed dollars for the protection of our rhinos,” the Minister emphasized. At the moment the horns have to be kept at secret places in huge safes which need to be guarded. The security for a “worthless product” is expensive. The security equipment to safeguard rhinos living in national parks, on commercial farms and in communal conservancies is very expensive, too, and makes men and women of MEFT, of the Namibian Police and the Namibian Defence Force unavailable for other urgent duties because they have to protect these rhinos. When old post-productive bulls start killing younger bulls to maintain their dominance, and even start to kill cows if kept in small protective areas, these problem bulls have to make way. They are legally hunted by trophy hunters. Namibia and South Africa each have a CITES quota of five rhinos per year. “We do not just kill an animal but try to get
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RHINO HORNS
FROM TOP, LEFT TO RIGHT: A priceless contrast: Minister Pohamba Shifeta holds a rhino horn, worthless to Namibia's conservation efforts but worth millions to poachers. Protecting rhinos: Minister Shifeta dehorns a black rhino, making them useless to poachers. Navigating obstacles: The dehorning team ventures through thorn bushes to reach a tranquilized rhino. Precision work: Horn edges rounded with a grinder after sawing, preserving a thin protective layer. Securing the evidence: Horns and off-cuts sealed in bags for safekeeping by law enforcement.
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FROM TOP, LEFT TO RIGHT: Gathering crucial data: As the dehorning team removes the rhino's horns, the Chief Conservation Scientist (right) and a MEFT warden (left) diligently measure the animal and collect valuable information. Meanwhile, the veterinarian (middle) closely monitors the darted rhino's well-being throughout the procedure. Protecting the rhino's eyes: To shield them from sunlight and dust, the Chief Control Warden and Custodian Manager (left) carefully cover the rhino's eyes. The veterinarian prepares equipment to monitor the animal's breathing, heart rate, and body temperature. In the background, the second helicopter arrives with the Minister and the rest of the dehorning team. Preserving horn structure: Once the horns are sawn off, the team meticulously rounds the edges, leaving only a thin layer of horn above the bony bulge on the rhino's nasal skull. It's worth noting that the horn is composed of keratin, the same material found in hair and fingernails. Enhanced efficiency: Using two helicopters, the MEFT dehorning team accelerates the process of locating, tranquilizing, and dehorning rhinos. The Ministry's Airbus Helicopter H125 (formerly Eurocopter AS 350 Squirrel) transports the team and equipment, while a privately owned Bell 407 carries the veterinarian and additional members. This approach allows the team to monitor the darted rhino until it wakes up and resumes its natural behavior. Transformed presence: A dehorned black rhino, equipped with a tracker on its right front leg, moves away from a waterhole. Its body shows evidence of having partially immersed in the water. This captivating sight reflects the efforts taken to protect these majestic creatures and ensure their future.
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RHINO HORNS
BELOW: A black rhino feeding on thorny twigs. The subspecies Diceros bicornis bicornis is found only in Namibia. A few animals have been sold to South Africa where Diceros bicornis minor occurs naturally. The black rhino is a special protected species in Namibia.
ABOVE: This rhino had been dehorned a few years before and the horns have regrown. On the left, a skull of a black rhino showing the bony bulges on top of the nose part on which the horns grow. On the right, a skull of a black rhino which was poached. The poachers chop off a huge part of the bone because they want the whole horn.
" Rhino conservation is not a cheap and easy way to conserve a species.”
as much income as possible out of the problem rhino, and the money generated is solely used for rhino conservation,” the MEFT Minister said. The trophy money earned is paid into the Game Products Trust Fund and not into the state coffers. Four rhinos were trophy-hunted in Namibia in 2022, in 2021 and 2020 one each, in 2019 none, in 2018 one and in 2017 two. Hunters have to cough up between 200 000 and 350 000 US Dollars for a black rhino bull. Females are not hunted and stay productive until they die a natural death. One female calf whose mother had been poached was saved and subsequently raised on a private game farm. She recently gave birth to her 11th calf. Rhino conservation is not a cheap and easy way to conserve a species. According to the Chief Conservation Scientist and National Rhino Coordinator of MEFT the costs of dehorning a single rhino are between N$10 000 and N$12 000. This amount doubles if rhinos are dehorned in places like the arid Kunene Region where fewer rhinos are found in much larger areas. The costs of a helicopter is on average around N$18 000 per hour, drugs for darting the animals +/- N$2 000 per rhino, plus the costs for offroad vehicles, salaries and overtime for staff.
Every rhino has its own ID number and DNA sample which is stored in a central lab in South Africa. “We dehorn our rhinos in parks, in custodianship on commercial farms and communal conservancies every second year,” the Chief Conservation Scientist explains. “We know most of our rhinos since they were born, we know how old they are and we age them by their teeth when we dart them to either dehorn or translocate them.” All black rhinos in Namibia are owned by the state. More than ten years of drought in the arid Kunene Region have had a major effect on the free-ranging rhino population in the communal conservancies. Here, the Save the Rhino Trust does tremendous work and the communities have started to benefit from rhino walks for tourists. The drought started in 2012, and two years later 18 rhinos were poached, the highest number in the last ten years in that area. Because the rhinos are scattered over a huge area, the ruthless criminals concentrated on cows with bigger calves. They killed the cow-andcalf pair to remove the horns, but actually killed three rhinos in the process, because most of the cows were again pregnant at the time, says MEFT´s Chief Conservation Scientist. Fourteen calves were born in 2015, the second highest birth rate in the last ten years, and 15 were born in 2018. But the long drought took its toll and in 2020 the natural mortality was the highest: 20 animals were found dead, mainly calves and old rhinos.
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Being hunter,
being human Hagen Denker
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grew up hunting.
Since I was one year old we spent months on end in the big game hunting concessions of my father, surrounding Khaudum National Park. It was a simple life from a basic tented camp giving me and my siblings one of the most carefree childhoods imaginable and something that nowadays belongs to times gone by.
For my 5th birthday I got a Daisy Gun and from there onwards I could actually hunt for something real. My first successful hunt was on a highly protected crimson-breasted shrike. My father was not happy and explained to me that this species was off-limits. Thereafter we prepared the little bird in some tin foil with onion and apple over the fire. Only hunt what you want to eat, or eat what you hunt – an important lesson for a young hunter.
For as long as I can think I have been interested in hunting. As a child I would always play hunting games with my San companions, dragging imaginary elephants back to camp by their trunk.
My youth was mainly spent hunting – in all possible ways – whether in the hunting concession or on my father’s property in the Erongo Mountains. My main quarry in the mountains soon became the rock dassie.
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Although I did not eat all the dassies I shot (they were given to the Damara builder on the farm at the time), I collected their quite impressive little “tusks”. I still have my “world record” trophy hanging on my childhood bedroom wall. I soon upgraded to larger animals, hunting a magnificent springbok ram in the Doro !Nawas concession on a trip with my father and my mother’s father when I was 10. Not before long I was in charge of hunting ration meat for the farm workers, especially when my father was in the big game concessions and my mother came down to
check on the farm every few weeks. I was in a very “blood-thirsty” season of my hunting career and could not get enough, also making my first conscious mistakes in hunting. In retrospect a very valuable time in my development as a person and as a hunter. When I was 17, my father gave me the great opportunity to hunt a “non-trophy” elephant at the end of the hunting season. To this day, it is one of the toughest and best hunting experiences I can remember. It was late in November and an incredibly taxing humid heat – the first rains of the season had just started – was ever-present. We were hunting in the Nyae Nyae Conservancy and spent a few days exploring the south of the hunting concession, without finding a suitable bull. On the second last day we picked up the tracks of an elephant bull at the waterhole near the camp. We first suspected that he would be moving east, and while the San trackers followed the tracks, my father and I wanted to cut off a bit of the distance and drove to where we assumed the bull would cut across the old cutline going north. The bull, however, soon after leaving the waterhole had turned in a northerly direction towards Khaudum National Park (some 20 km to the north). We left the truck at the cutline and followed the tracks. The heat was brutal and my feet were covered in blisters from the previous days when I broke in my knockoff vellies. The elephant moved in a general northerly direction, but in half circles as he was feeding on tubers or looking for a suitable spot to catch some sleep. I still remember how I had a bad backache from all the walking, probably because of the uncomfortable, hard shoes. Every few kilometres I would have to stretch and bend my back to keep the pain bearable. But I never thought about giving up. Late in the morning we approached a clayey belt where the vegetation was lush and thick. It cut from east to west through the otherwise mostly monotone bushveld and we suspected that the bull might spend the hottest hours of the day in the cool shade there. However, he walked almost straight through the belt and into the open bushland again. Maybe the overcast weather was enough protection from the sun for him. The bull also went past the islands of purple-pod terminalia thickets that dotted the landscape. We already
feared that he might be in the national park, when suddenly we finally caught up with him less than 2 km from the park’s border. The thunder of the .416 I was carrying and my father’s .404 brought the old bull to the ground, and an end to an unreal pursuit. I was exhausted by the hunt, and yet also incredibly humbled by this experience. What a hunt. It was not over yet, though. We were miles from the car. The old cutline was relatively close and my father told me to go back with one of the San and fetch the car, while he would wait for me with the other trackers. The 45-minute brisk walk to the cutline through the somewhat diverse bushveld was still enjoyable, but the walk south along the cutline for kilometres on end got more tiring with every step. Kan//ah, the tracker accompanying me, had already used up all his water; I still had about 3/4 left in my bottle. I tried to hold out as long as I could but after an hour or so along the cutline, I had to take a few sips. I also offered some to Kan//ah, but he politely declined. After another hour I drank again – we were just passing the village of N!otscha-Kai lying about a kilometre off the cutline – and again offered some to Kan//ah, who declined again. I finished my bottle as I knew that we were now closer to the car than to where the others were waiting, and that there was a 25-litre jerry can of water on the truck, where the tracker could finally also drink without feeling bad. The last stretch was excruciating for me but I was not going to start complaining now. At some point we reached the hunting vehicle and I poured water over my head and gulped down as much as I could. Kan//ah just stood on the back of the vehicle still not taking a sip. Incredible. Another lesson learnt.
In my early twenties I had a mind shift in my view on hunting. It became more and more about the experience, about being out in nature, observing everything around me and learning as much as possible from what I saw. The act of killing – usually the penultimate moment, the completion of a hunt – moved way back in priority. At times I even questioned whether it is morally right to hunt, to kill an animal. However, I always came to the conclusion that hunting and killing is justified – not that it needs to be, it is part of human nature – and that it is okay to kill an animal (if done ethically and sustainably). For me, hunting is not about enjoying killing or collecting a trophy (although I do like the memories linked to a set of beautiful horns). I enjoy spending time in nature, truly experiencing all the facets that creation has to offer. And sharing this time with like-minded people. Maybe even helping such companions to bag an old, past-prime trophy-carrier and enjoying meat grilled on the campfire. Hunting truly is a school of life and because of that is so vitally important for society – not necessarily for each individual, but for the human community as a whole. Hunting, in its broadest possible context (second only to my belief, which I also challenged at times but never lost), has been the only constant in my life and has carried me through many challenging or trying times. Hunting provides the hunter with the purest form of living and being closest to creation. Hunting really matters.
With the car we reached the others in no time, and now at last Kan//ah enjoyed a few mouthfuls of water together with the other trackers. This memory is a big part of what made me as a hunter and human being. I learnt many things spending time out in the bush with great hunters and while pursuing or tracking game. I could relate many stories of a hunting career still in its fledgling stage. However, that would go beyond the scope of this essay and of what I am trying to bring across.
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At the Nature Awareness Project,
awareness is only the beginning Gudrun Heger’s words, spoken at the 2022 Namibia Professional Hunters Association (NAPHA) conference, pierced the air like a ringing bell: “Namibia’s treasure is nature!” she exclaimed to the attentive audience. Gudrun Heger’s status with the Nature Awareness Project and NAPHA is layered. She is chairperson of the Hunters Support Education Committee, which incorporates the Nature Awareness Project (NAP) within the NAPHA organisation. Michael G. Sabbeth
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few words about NAPHA provide valuable background and context for the importance and mission of the NAP. NAPHA advances the proposition that sustainable trophy hunting is inherent in conservation. NAPHA notes that Namibia is one of the leading countries in Africa in terms of nature conservation. The number of animals as well as their diversity has doubled since the 1960s. NAPHA’s website claims that seventy to eighty percent of all wild animals in Namibia are found on private land, which the association attributes to the trophy hunting industry. NAPHA’s mission is to ensure and promote ethical conduct, sustainable utilisation of natural resources and to secure the industry for current and future generations. A brief history of the Nature Awareness Project begins in 2014, when Isabelle Fourie created and initiated a project titled Back to Nature. Outdoor activities, ventures and lectures were hosted by Isabelle for dozens of children from the Waldorf School Windhoek, to advance educating them about nature, and how the now-fashionable phrase “sustainable use” is applied to wildlife, fauna, and flora. In 2019 the Hunters Support Education committee, under the umbrella of NAPHA, took Isabelle’s project under its umbrella, renaming it Nature Awareness Project. The overarching mission or vision of these programs was, as Gudrun explained, “instilling respect for nature,” which she views as “Namibia’s treasure.” These programs expanded, gained vitality and funding, and became unified as a discrete entity renamed the Nature Awareness Project. The Nature Awareness Project boasts multiple ambitious goals and employs several social media channels and practical excursions to engage youngsters with Namibia’s natural environment. These goals are attained through education programs, mental discipline within a framework of ethics, respect for nature, and self-discipline. An
additional component of the cultivated ethos of valuing nature, a component that may be unique to Namibia, is the focus on Namibia’s constitutional foundation for the ethical and legal commitment to “sustainable use” and nature’s long-term viability. Apart from justifying the ethos of its mission, the intellectual and legal legitimacy of NAP’s work is enhanced by Namibia’s constitution. Namibia adopted its constitution in 1990. Relevant to this discussion, Chapter 11 defines the Principles of State Policy. Article 95 is part of that Chapter, which contains provisions on the Promotion of the Welfare of the People. The actualising provision that gives vitality and vibrancy to wildlife conservation and the validation of NAP’s work and mission is the directive that the State shall “actively promote and maintain the welfare of the people by adopting, inter alia, policies aimed at the following: Section l: maintenance of ……. biological diversity of Namibia and utilisation of living natural resources on a sustainable basis for the benefit of all Namibians, both present and future.” As implied in the constitutional provision quoted above and wellknown by the dedicated NAP team, the sustainable basis for wildlife conservation cannot be implemented if wildlife and fauna no longer exist to be sustained. Even a casual visit to the website of the Nature Awareness Project illustrates the various platforms used to implement its goals. A non-exhaustive list of these platforms and practices includes the use of digital platforms and educational videos; the prime importance of taking children on educational outings; teaching the practical application of “sustainable use” through a broad spectrum of ventures and outings; introducing children to the vast diversity of Namibia’s wildlife within the framework of teaching respect for their existence and their value to the ecological chain wildlife.
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Of course, problems arise because the younger generation lacks awareness and education pertaining to nature and natural resources. Also, as Gudrun stated, mainly due to urbanisation an increasing number of Namibians have little to no understanding of what conservation is all about. However, these problems are hardly monopolised by Namibia, they are universal.
bestows on youngsters is illustrated by a student’s comment: “Now I have learnt that I can make a difference and make the world better.” Their insights into nature and the ecosystem can be quite basic, as can be seen in this student’s poignant educational moment: “I learnt today the value of water and that we must save it because people, animals and plants cannot live without it.”
Gudrun elaborated on the synergistic quality of the children’s engagement with nature by noting that when participating in the NAP projects, the children “are creating their conservation values while inspiring each other.”
Students have commented on how they learnt to safely make a fire, identify different game animals and their tracks and, in one distinctly earthy example, a student commented proudly on his new-found ability to “identify animal dung.”
Breathing life into the Nature Awareness Project’s vision of Taking us back to nature requires hard work: the effort of organising ventures and the patience and lucidity of language to explain nature and admittedly complex concepts such as “sustainable use” to young audiences. As evidence that NAP has mastered these skills, Gudrun shared in her NAPHA presentation examples of the positive feedback from the project’s ventures and directed the audience to the successful messaging for youth that permeates the videos embedded on NAP’s website.
The NAP was founded in response to the reality that a high percentage of Namibian children are unfamiliar with the local fauna and flora and the sustainable use of wildlife and conservation. For those youngsters whose lives have been touched by the NAP programs, the results of their education and inspiration will resonate like a violin string across generations.
The voices of the children who have participated in its programs illuminate most eloquently NAP’s ability to engage and inspire them to be nature’s stewards. For example, a young girl’s expression of joy derived from participating in one of NAP’s educational ventures becomes a metaphor for NAP’s vision to enrich other youth. The young student articulates her gratitude for her good fortune by astutely observing that “many children in cities never have the chance to get out in nature or touch animals like a horse.” Feeling empowered, children have effused that they “feel proud that they can help nature.” An illustration of the power NAP
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Whether the projects and excursions teach about milking cows or building a sustainable garden or learning about the value of snakes in the balance of the environment and the use of their venom for the pharmaceutical industry to save human lives – every moment, every lesson, every seemingly disconnected fact is linked to the unifying themes of causality, duty, consequences and nature’s fragility. Things happen or don’t happen for identifiable reasons. What we had yesterday is not guaranteed for tomorrow and will not be sustainable unless knowledge, moral will and hard work are devoted to maintaining and improving the environment and the lives of its inhabitants. Gudrun said at NAPHA that “education is the only way to protect nature.” However, if one listened closely to her words, it can be discerned that Gudrun advocated a greater reach than education.
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NATURE AWARENESS PROJECT
For more information on the Nature Awareness Project visit: Gudrun@otjiruse.com www.nature.awareness.com www.youtube.com/@thenatureawarenessprojectn4345 Nature Awareness Namibia
Gudrun articulated the reality that more than education is needed to protect nature. Many people, highly educated and highly informed, do nothing to protect nature or advance conservation. Many people are aware of nature’s frailty but do nothing to protect it. Education and awareness are necessary but insufficient to guide the stewarding of nature.
Of course, as the staff of the NAP acknowledge, these children will be tomorrow’s leaders and only through knowledge will they be able to face future challenges. But in conversations with me, both Gudrun and Axel acknowledged that in addition to awareness and education, the characteristics of motivation, the will to act, moral courage and competent diligence are needed to attain NAP’s goals.
At the conference, Axel Cramer, president of NAPHA, emphasised Abstract philosophy and good intentions must be translated into to me that “education is not enough. tangible action if virtuous goals are to be Awareness is not enough.” Axel’s assertion may achieved. Under the sterling leadership of " Gudrun effectively seem counterintuitive since “awareness” is the the NAP Team – Gudrun Heger, Barbara middle word descriptor in the organisation’s Isabelle Fourie and Nadja Geiger – captured the truth that Rogl, three-word title. However, from a practical the organisation has become the vehicle for realpolitik perspective, Axel is correct. transforming awareness into action. Worth if you want a vibrant Possessing awareness without taking action noting is that the Nature Awareness Project is morally and practically meaningless. Axel team does everything on a voluntary basis. future for wildlife, you insightfully exclaimed, “Awareness is not No salaries are paid. Thus, donations are have to work now to the end goal of the NAP but the beginning. welcome. In 2022, the NAP team received the Awareness is just the jumping-off point.” NAPHA award for Most Active Member for the create the future you Perhaps the organisation should be renamed 3rd consecutive year. Nature Action Project, for only through action want. Virtuous futures will respect for nature be brought to life and The NAP instils a sense of duty, a sense of the sustainable use of wildlife, flora and fauna obligation, a sense of stewardship in the young don’t happen by will be realised. students. Significantly, Gudrun and the NAP accident.” team inspire the youngsters to see that they are Tim Fallon, president of the Dallas Safari part of something larger than themselves; that Club, was a guest at the 2022 NAPHA knowledge plus hard work and self-discipline conference. Tim shared with me his give meaning and depth to life, which are the summarisation of Gudrun’s presentation with transcendent indicators of a life well lived. The the following prescient observation: “Gudrun effectively captured NAP enables youngsters to weave themselves into one rich tapestry the truth that if you want a vibrant future for wildlife, you have unifying their efforts, their country, their Constitution and Namibia’s to work now to create the future you want. Virtuous futures don’t abundant wildlife and flora. Congratulations to the Nature Awareness happen by accident.” Project, for it helps Namibia to blossom into a greater life force.
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READER’S STORY
From chance encounter to magnificent safari William Archibald
I
n February this year my daughter Jan and son-in-law David took me to the Great American Outdoors Show in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
agreed to deliver the gun case to DJS Orpa Hunting Safaris, saving us an 8-hour round trip back to the airport.
I had no intention of booking a safari. I went to see old friends, the taxidermy and to be among my kind of people. I am a veteran of 12 safaris to southern Africa. Jan has four safaris to her credit, but neither of us has been to Namibia.
Meanwhile, Dirk had a 300 Win Mag for Jan and a 338 for me. We did a test firing, then went for a familiarisation drive. As became the pattern for the rest of our safari, we had a great dinner with the family. Dirk, Thea and newlyweds Dirk Junior and Engela made us feel welcome, as if we had all been friends for years. Junior is a newly ordained P.H, and Ingla is a newly minted large animal veterinarian. Early to bed for some much needed sleep.
Namibia has been on my radar for a very long time, so we stopped to chat with Dirk and Thea Smit of DJS Orpa Hunting Safaris. I had some specific questions, and Dirk had the answers I was looking for. I really liked what I was hearing, and seeing. BUT, I didn't go there to book a hunt. So, after a brief conversation we walked on to talk to old friends, guides and outfitters. We had a wonderful day at the sportsman show. When we started for the door to leave, Jan and David said that they would like to talk to Dirk again. I said, “No problem, it's on the way out.” Dirk and Thea invited us into their booth. After a few more minutes of chatting, Jan said "We're ready to book." I nearly fell out of my chair. WAIT, WHAT? Terms were discussed and dates selected, as I sat reeling in my seat. And just like that we were set for our next safari. You don't have to twist my arm to hunt in Africa, but this was completely unexpected. What an amazing surprise. It was a bit of a scramble to get organised in just three months, but as experienced travellers we knew what steps were needed to prepare for our hunt in Namibia. May 10th found us at the airport in Windhoek. Dirk was there to meet us. Our luggage arrived, but not our rifles. A nuisance, but the airline
The next morning started off to a swimmingly successful beginning for our hunt. Jan made excellent shots on gemsbok, black wildebeest, kudu, Burchell’s zebra, Hartmann’s zebra, blue wildebeest and warthog. Quite a bag for my daughter on her 5th safari. Meanwhile, I wasn't idle. There was a gemsbok, warthog, springbok, eland, and a blue wildebeest. One of many things that so impressed me about hunting with DJS Orpa Hunting Safaris was the care in trophy selection. Dirk’s explanation about "socks": The emphasis on selecting the oldest animal not simply the biggest. My South African experience was basically "there's one. Shoot it". Not so with Dirk. Careful scrutiny every time. From start to finish, hunting at DJS Orpa Hunting Safaris with Dirk Smit was a magnificent experience. Excellent home style cooking. Meals with the family. Pleasant evenings around the fireplace. Great fellowship. Truly, of all my safaris this was the best. So good in fact that we are going back to DJS Orpa Hunting Safaris in August for another 12-day hunt. Namibia, and DJS Orpa Hunting Safaris, are now my destination of choice and I can't wait to get back there.
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EXPERIENCE. READINESS. ACTION. Tactical Sports provides superior services and quality custom solutions to the outdoors person, sportsmen, professionals in law enforcement and emergency services. Professional or Sportsperson, Tactical Sports can assist you. Tactical Sports is the sole supplier of Krieghoff and other reputable brands in Namibia.
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CONSERVATIONIST
of the year
Muyemburuko Max Kangwaka: A Fearless Conservationist Fighting for Transparency and Community Rights exclusion from ReCon's consultative meetings. Undeterred, Max has continued to fight for the rights of both local communities and the natural environment, refusing to be silenced by powerful interests. While the media has extensively covered ReCon Africa's drilling operations in the northeast of Namibia, Max Kangwaka understands the broader implications of industrial activities. He recognises the potential dangers posed by mining and its impact on precious aquifers. His belief that conservation encompasses more than just hunting-related issues speaks to his deep understanding of the interconnectedness of environmental preservation and the well-being of communities. Despite Facing Adversity, Max Kangwaka's Tireless Efforts Earn Him the Title of Conservationist of the Year
I
n the realm of environmental conservation, there are individuals whose unwavering dedication and fearless spirit set them apart from the rest. Muyemburuko Max Kangwaka, a true force to be reckoned with, has been awarded the esteemed title of NAPHA’s Conservationist of the Year for his tireless efforts to protect nature and advocate for the rights of affected communities. Despite facing immense pressure from various entities, including regional councils, judicial authorities, and the powerful ReCon Africa, Max has remained steadfast in his pursuit of transparency and justice. Born on February 2, 1984, in the Kavango East Region's Levayi Village, Max Kangwaka's passion for conservation bloomed early in his life. He attended Levayi combined school, later transferring to Shamangonwa Combined School for his tenth grade. The seeds of his environmental advocacy were sown during his time as a community forest facilitator, appointed by
the directorate of forestry under the KFW project, in 2006. However, Max's journey didn't end there. His commitment to conservation propelled him into various leadership roles within his community. From being elected as the village representative for Shamambungu and its conservancy management committee in 2007, to serving as Treasurer and later ViceChairperson, Max's influence grew steadily. In 2016, he took on the position of Conservancy Chairperson, solidifying his commitment to protecting the natural environment and community rights. It is Max's unyielding demands for transparency that have put him at odds with ReCon Africa, a powerful entity engaged in drilling operations. Max's tenacity led him to interview local communities directly affected by ReCon Africa's activities. However, his disruptive nature in demanding truth and transparency ultimately resulted in his
During the award ceremony at NAPHA’s 2022 AGM, Max humbly accepted the honour, acknowledging his initial hesitation and self-doubt. However, he emphasised the significance of the award as a recognition of the work he and his team have undertaken over the past year. Max expressed gratitude to NAPHA for acknowledging the efforts of conservationists on the ground, a recognition that is often scarce. He highlighted the challenges he faces, including public criticism and personal threats, but remained resolute in his commitment to preserving nature and fighting for justice. Muyemburuko Max Kangwaka's journey serves as a beacon of hope for the conservation community and beyond. His unwavering determination in the face of adversity and his relentless pursuit of transparency and community rights have earned him the prestigious title of Conservationist of the Year. Max's story is a testament to the power of individuals who refuse to be silenced and who stand up for what is right, safeguarding our natural heritage for future generations.
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NAPHA AWARDS 2022 Hunting assistant: Eric Ganaseb
Conservationist: Muyemburuko Max Kangwaka
Conservationist: Muyemburuko Max Kangwaka
Chef: Justina Kalira Kampanza
Hunting assistant: Eric Ganaseb Chef: Justina Kalira Kampanza Most approachable member: Dr. Hans-Gerd Lüesse Most approachable member: Dr. Hans-Gerd Lüesse
Most active members: Hunters Support Education Committee
Most active members: Hunters Support Education Committee
Most medals sold Group: 1. Otjiruze Safaris CC 2. Onduno Hunting 3. Die Keiler Most medals sold Individuals: 1. Diethelm Metzger 2. Jacques Strauss (Ansie Strauss attended for him) 3. Anthea Langner (did not attend) Most medals sold Group: Otjiruze Safaris CC
Most medals sold Group: Die Keiler
Most medals sold Group: Onduno Hunting
Most medals sold Individuals: Diethelm Metzger
Most medals sold Individuals: Jacques Strauss (Ansie Strauss attended for him)
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This could be you... Down-to-earth hunting with down-to-earth people
This could be you...
Welcome to our family ranch (since 1908). Within 13 000 ha of beautiful and varied thorn-bush savannah (riverbeds, plains, moountains, granite outcrops and many waterholes), you experience personalised hospitality in a rustic atmosphere. We offer exceptional hunting possibilities on more than 22 wildlife species e.g. Kudu, Oryx, Eland, Impala, Damara Dik-Dik etc. (also special offers). We are looking forward to welcome you at our ranch. Georg Engelhard Tel/Whatsapp: (+264) 81 2540356 Email: info@kovahange-safaris.com | Website: kovahange-safaris.com
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Dietz
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etendero@iway.na
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Doman Dorfling Dressel Dresselhaus du Plessis du Toit Düvel Egerer Eggert Eggert Eichhoff Eichler Eichler Engelhard Epler Erni Erpf Erpf Esterhuizen Falk Fechter Fechter Fietz
JF BT EG D PJ CJ M M B HB E KU KU G CFG EW HR HW A WA HF MLH AE
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Surname Fourie Friedensdorf Friedensdorf Friederich Fug
Initials IV S K HH G
Operation Name Chapungu - Kambako Hunting Safaris Hunting & Guestfarm Ondombo Hunting & Guestfarm Ondombo Baobab Game Ranch Terranova Tourism & Farming
Email hunting.isabelle@gmail.com kfriedensdorf@iway.na kfriedensdorf@iway.na driehoek@mweb.com.na majavonreekenfug@gmail.com
Garbade Garbade Garbade Gorn Grahl Gruhn Grünschloss Günther Günzel Haag Haase Haase Haase Hakenjos Halenke Halenke Hart Hauffe Heger Heger Heimstädt Hennig Hennings Herbst Herzog
BT HH TBH MW K A I BW K HM G GT AGF HP O RW GE H R BS WEG GE NO K-D G-C SP H H
Onduno Hunting Onduno Hunting Onduno Hunting
Hess Hillermann Hinterholzer Hobohm Horenburg Horsthemke Horsthemke (Jnr) Horsthemke (Snr) Hufnagl Hugo Hurt
SB M PEM HG M B HH HW Y WK RA
Zighenzani-Africa Safaris Blaser Safaris Ltd Erongo Lodge Abachaos #2025 Farming Hunting Farm Wronin Jagdfarm Stoetzer Jagdfarm Stoetzer Jagdfarm Stoetzer IFN Airfright Logistics Mazabuka Investments Pty t/a Klein Barmen Robin Hurt Safari Company (Pty) Ltd
onduno@gmail.com onduno@gmail.com onduno@gmail.com manfred@kgss.com.na grahl@iway.na pbgruhn@iway.na kgrunschloss@yahoo.com info@ad-hunting.com info@ovisume.eu haag@otjikoko.com haase@iway.na olaf85@gmail.com rolfhaase@iway.na hetaku@iway.na halenke@iway.na hohenau@namibianhunting.com bhas@byronhart.com wilkohauffe@gmail.com gudrun@otjiruse.com nikolai@tandelta.biz klausheimstadt@yahoo.com christianghennig@gmail.com philip@khomas-highland-hunting.com kansimba@iafrica.com.na hubert@herzoghunting.com; ulrike@herzoghunting.com sigurd@zighenzani.com blasersafaris@afol.com.na erongolodge@iway.na
Jacobs Janse van Rensburg Jansen Jansen van Vuuren Joubert Kaiser Kamatuka Kibble Kibble Kiekebusch Kirchner Koekemoer Kotze Kotze Kotze Kotzé Kreiner Kretzschmar Krieghoff Kruger Labuschagne Lambrechts Lamprecht Langner Leuschner Levin Lichtenberg Liedtke Ling
SM JF JAB L SJ DU GU PD MW HH EHBK GJ JC DJ HJL HR HA KE
SMJ Safaris Portsmut Hunting Safaris Acacia Hunting Safaris Leopard Legend Hunting Safaris Bergzicht Game Lodge Kuhwerder Jagdfarm Kataneno Hunt Trophy Safaris Mike Kibble Safaris Jagd & Rinderfarm Hochfels Kou Kuas Adventure Safaris Omuramba Hunting Lodge Omatako Hunting Trails Tiefenbach Bow Hunting Chapungu Kambako Hunting Safaris Hugo Kotze Safaris Ekongo Hunting & Safaris Onduasu Jagd Krieghoff - Inside front page Omujeve Hunting Safaris (Pty) Ltd Ndumo Safaris Arub Safaris Hunters Namibia Safaris Omuramba Hunting Lodge Glenorkie Hunting Farm
86
JJN D TM H-L A LI J C GP RW
Scheidthof Hunting Safaris Bellerode Hunting Jagd Safaris Jamy Traut Hunting Safaris AD Hunting Ovisume Jagdfarm Otjikoko Game Ranch Haasenhof Gästefarm Jagd & Gästefarm Wilhelmstal Nord Jagd & Gästefarm Wilhelmstal Nord Hetaku Safari Lodge Hohenau Hunting Ranch Hohenau Hunting Ranch Boscia Wildlife Ventures CC Beenbreck Safaris Otjiruse Hunting Otjiruse Hunting Game Ranch Transvaal Aru Game Lodges - pg. 20 Khomas Highland Hunting Safaris Bull River CC t/a Kansimba Game Lodge Herzog Hunting
Otjisororindi Jagdfarm Okondura Nord Hunt & Guestfarm Die Keiler
Cellphone +264 81 278 4548 +264 81 269 0838 +264 81 302 2896 +264 81 259 2134 +264 81 272 1172 / +264 81 393 9640 (WhatsApp only) +264 81 668 0361 +261 81 809 1108 +264 81 447 7177 +264 81 124 1355 +264 81 322 2253 +264 81 250 9323 +264 81 464 6174 +264 81 787 2022 +264 81 128 8624 +264 81 235 1755 +264 81 275 2177 +264 81 275 6911 +264 81 127 4911 +264 81 149 1882 +264 81 248 3868 +264 81 260 0892 +264 81 124 7795 +264 81 124 8887 +264 81 280 5901 +264 81 252 2212 +264 81 602 5029 +264 81 761 6467 +264 81 612 0075 +264 81 142 8778 +264 81 128 1970
Website www.emantumbe.com www.namibia-jagdfarm.com www.namibia-jagdfarm.com www.baobab-namibia.com
+264 81 128 4585 +264 81 374 1997 +264 81 252 5583
www.zighenzani.com www.blaser-safaris.com www.erongo-lodge.de
wronin@iway.na hbhorst@iway.na hbhorst@iway.na hbhorst@iway.na yorck@ifn.com.na kleinbarmen@africaonline.com.na robinhurtnamibia@gmail.com
+264 81 262 2422 +264 81 261 9371 +264 81 275 7078
smj@iway.na jansej@tgh.na acaciahunting@gmail.com info@leopardlegend.com steph@bergzichtgamelodge.com kaiser@iway.na guk@iway.na trophysa@africaonline.com kibble@progress-safaris.com hochfels@iway.na emile@koukuasadventures.com info@omuramba.com omatakoranch@iway.na kotzedj@iway.na louis@omujevehuntingsafaris.com hugo@namibia-hunt.com endlesshorizonsnamibia@iway.na onduasu@iway.na Ralf.Mueller@krieghoff.de sumbron@africaonline.com.na huntingdivan@gmail.com namfab 9@gmail.com hannslouis@lamcc.co info@omuramba.com glenorkie@iway.na jacolevin@icloud.com lichtenberg@iway.na okondura@africaonline.com.na cowdray@iway.na
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www.onduno.com www.onduno.com www.onduno.com www.scheidthof293.com www.bellerodejagd.com www.ad-hunting.com www.ovisume.com.na www.otjikoko.com www.haasenhof.com www.wilhelmstalnord.na www.wilhelmstalnord.na www.hetaku.com www.namibianhunting.com www.namibianhunting.com www.byronhart.com www.huntnamibia.info www.otjiruse.com www.otjiruse.com www.namibiahuntingandsafaris.com www.khomas-highland-hunting.com www.kansimba.com www.herzoghunting.com
www.hunting-stoetzer.com www.hunting-stoetzer.com www.hunting-stoetzer.com www.kleinbarmen.net www.robinhurtnambia.com www.robinhurt.com www.smj-safaris.com www.phs.com.na www.acaciahunting.com www.leopardlegend.com www.bergzicht-hunting.com www.jagdfarm-kuhwerder.de www.trophysafarisnamibia.com www.progress-safaris.com www.hochfels.iway.na www.koukuasadventures.com www.omuramba.com www.omatakohuntingnamibia.com www.bowhuntnamibia.com www.chapungu-kambako.com www.namibia-hunt.com www.onduasu.de www.krieghoff.de www.omujevehuntingsafaris.com www.huntingsafaris.net www.arubhunt.com www.huntersnamibia.com www.omuramba.com www.glenorkie.com
www.okondura.com www.namibianhunting.com
Surname Lopes
Initials Operation Name JF Damara Dik-Dik Safaris
Email dikdik@iway.na
Cellphone +264 81 242 6070
Lueke Lüesse Lung Lüsse Manusakis Marais Marnewecke Matthaei Matthaei Meier Mentrup Menzel-Ritter Metzger Metzger Michaels Michels Morris Mostert Mousley Muller Muller Muller Namene Nebe Nel Neubrech Nolte Odendaal Oelofse Oelofsen Olivier Oosthuizen Otto Otto Pack Pack Pape Pauly Pienaar Pienaar Pienaar Potgieter Powel Preschel Redecker Redecker Redecker Redecker Reinhardt Ritter Rogl Rogl Rogl Rogl Rossouw Rowland Rumpf Rust Sack Safari Club International Savoldelli Schickerling Schickerling Schlettwein Schlettwein Schmidt Schmidt Schmitt Schneider-Waterberg Scholtissek Scholz
M Blaser Safaris Ltd H-G H A H Panorama Hunting Ranch JC Ozondjahe Safaris D Achenib Hunting D Omatako Big Game Hunting S Keibeb Safaris FC Camelthorn Safaris RH Ombakata Jagd & Safaris JFE Ombakata Jagd & Safaris T Ohorongo Safaris CH M Ritter Safari Adventures CC KB Makadi Safaris - pg. 64 D Makadi Safaris - pg. 64 R Namib Taxidermy S Kambaku Lodge and Safaris K Byseewah Safaris P Afrika Jag Safaris Namibia DB Robin Hurt Safari Company (Pty) Ltd DA Daggaboy Hunting Safaris GJ Otjinuke Hunting Ranch LP Okatare Safari RK Boskloof Hunting and Guest Farm JFCK Ovita Game & Hunting N Nelson Nel Hunting Safaris & Tours JG Etemba Jagd NJ Nick Nolte Hunting Safaris CC GH Gohunt Namibia Safaris A Jan Oelofse Hunting Safaris BW Etosha View Hunting GH Panorama Rock Game Ranch Safaris AJ Game Trackers Africa Safaris CK Hunting Farm Kachauchab V Ondjiviro Hunting Safaris - pg. 58 RU Okasandu Farming - pg. 50 H Jagdfarm Ottawa IG Okatore Lodge & Safaris SH Hayas Hunting SW African Plains Safaris JH Hunt Africa Namibia Safaris JH Hunt Africa Namibia Safaris C Eureka Hunting Safaris JRM H Namibia Safari Services UG Die Keiler - Farm Westfalenhof JW Die Keiler - Farm Westfalenhof FW Die Keiler - Farm Westfalenhof GA Die Keiler - Farm Westfalenhof PM Bushman Trails Africa RD Ritter Safari Adventures CC BF Otjiruze Safaris CC A Otjiruze Safaris CC W Otjiruze Safaris CC M Otjiruze Safaris CC JAN Moreson Bird & Game Trophy Hunting Farm RW RW Rowland Hunting Safaris JE Combumbi Jagd H GW Erongo Hunting Safari B Jagdfarm Maroela Safari Club International N Okarumuti Game Lodge JF Agarob Hunting Safaris JF Agarob Hunting Safaris WUB Ovita Game & Hunting JC Otjitambi Guestfarm WFR Ombu Jagd & Gästefarm AM Okatjeru Hunting CC C Okambara Elephant Lodge H Waterberg Game Guest Farm Y Otjitoroa Safaris EG All African Safaris
blasersafaris@afol.com.na doc.lueesse@icloud.com ozond@mweb.com.na achenib@iway.na namibia@omatako-safaris.com info@keibeb.na camelthornsafaris@iway.na booking@ombakata.com info@namsafcon.com ohorongo@iway.na mogoto1913@gmail.com info@namibia-jagd.com katja@makadi-safaris.com diethelm@makadi-safaris.com namibtaxidermy@afol.com.na smichels@kambaku.com byseewah@iway.na erongofp@gmail.com danbmousley@live.com damuller@iway.na gmuller@afol.com.na okatare@afol.com.na rknamene03@yahoo.co.uk info@ovitawildlife.com nelsonnel74@gmail.com etemba@afol.com.na info@nicknoltehunting.com gohunt@iway.na alex@etjo.na boelofsen@afol.com.na panoramarock@africaonline.com.na jaco@gametrackersafrica.com info@namibia-hunter.com info@ondjiviro.com info@okasandu.com ottawa@iway.na info@okatore.com shpauly@gmail.com schalk470@gmail.com info@huntafrica.com.na info@huntafrica.com.na info@eurekahuntingsafaris.com jrmpowel@gmail.com harald@namsaf.com.na westfalenhof@iway.na J_Redecker@gmx.de westfalenhof@iway.na birte.redecker@gmail.com bushmantrailsafrica@gmail.com info@namibia-jagd.com barbara@otjiruze.com alex@otjiruze.com werner@otjiruze.com markus@otjiruze.com moreson@afol.com.na r.rowland@geva-sales.com combumbi@iway.na omandumba@iway.na maroela@iway.na laird@safariclub.org info@okarumutigamelodge.com johnkiamsab@gmail.com hunting@agarobsafaris.com info@ovitawildlife.com jcsotjitambi@iway.na ombufarm@iway.na alan@okatjeru.com okambara@iway.na harry@waterbergnamibia.com y.scholtissek@otji-safaris.com allafricansafaris@gmail.com
+264 81 374 1997 +264 81 124 7508 +264 81 127 8590 +264 81 128 4440 +264 81 245 7721 +264 81 260 2405 +264 81 279 3364 +264 81 124 4774 +264 81 128 2425 +264 81 663 3317 +264 81 244 1894 +264 81 248 7144 +264 81 128 9017 +264 81 316 9551 +264 81 585 1920 +264 81 124 9593 +264 81 124 2040 +264 81 147 9033 +264 81 128 1215 +264 81 260 6468 +264 81 124 4711 +264 81 140 2341 +264 81 398 6533 +264 81 255 5868 +264 81 220 9420 +264 81 241 8990 +264 81 124 7630 +264 81 127 3196 +264 81 259 5612 +264 81 481 9222 +264 81 226 9518 +264 81 294 0141 +264 81 394 9311 +264 81 124 7165 +264 81 148 4845 +264 81 268 3510 +264 81 149 1070 +264 81 240 1828 +264 81 124 3299 +264 81 322 6221
Website www.dikdiksafaris.com www.la-rochelle.com.na www.farm-lichtenstein.com www.africanhuntingsafaris.com www.omatako-safaris.com www.keibeb.na www.camelthorn-safaris.com www.ombakata-safari-namibia.com www.ombakata-safari-namibia.com www.ohorongo.net www.rittersafaris.com www.makadi-safaris.com www.makadi-safaris.com www.kambaku.com www.byseewah.com www.robinhurtnambia.com www.daggaboy.com www.huntatrophy.com www.okatare.com www.boskloofna.com www.ovitahunting.com www.etemba-hunting.com www.nicknoltesafaris.com www.janoelofsesafaris.com
www.gametrackersafrica.com www.namibia-hunter.com www.ondjiviro.com www.okasandu.com www.okatore.com www.spsafarisnamibia.com www.huntafrica.com.na www.huntafrica.com.na
+264 81 124 4718 +264 81 250 4567 +264 81 288 3061 +264 81 717 2002 +264 81 284 7569 +264 81 258 5887 +264 81 488 3090 +264 81 127 0719 +264 81 300 4231 +264 81 609 6292 +264 81 209 5035 +264 81 127 4808
www.namsaf.com.na www.namibianhunting.com www.namibianhunting.com www.namibianhunting.com www.namibianhunting.com www.bushmantrailsafrica.com www.rittersafaris.com www.otjiruze.com www.otjiruze.com www.otjiruze.com www.otjiruze.com www.withoek.com
+264 81 240 9695 +264 81 245 3713 +264 81 240 9972
www.combumbi.com
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www.okarumutigamelodge.com www.agarobsafaris.com www.agarobsafaris.com www.ovitahunting.com www.otjitambi.iway.na www.ombufarm.com www.okatjeru.com www.okambara.de www.waterbergnamibia.com www.jagdfarm-namibia.com
www.maroela.com
HUNTiNAMIBIA | 2024
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Surname Schoonbee Schubert Schünemann Schwalm Schwarz Sentefol Skrywer Slaney Smit Spangenberg Sternagel Sternagel Steyn Strauss Strydom Stumpfe Svenblad Swanepoel Swanepoel
Initials DG CF H R F OW R B WH DJ JJ HMF WK F J HJ K H DB A
Operation Name SMJ Safaris Hunting and Guestfarm Aurora Zighenzani-Africa Safaris Omalanga Safaris Ondjou Safaris African Shipping Services CC Aru Game Lodges - pg. 20 Otjimbondona Orpa Hunting Safaris Gras Hunting Lodge Ganeib Jagd & Gästefarm Ganeib Jagd & Gästefarm
Email dgschoonbee@gmail.com huntingfarm.aurora@gmail.com henning@zighenzani.com reservations@omalangasafaris.net fowschwarz@gmail.com rainer@africanshippingservices.com info@arugamelodges.com wilfried@profilesafaris.com hunting@orpahunt.com grasgame@iway.na ganeib@iafrica.com.na ganeib@iafrica.com.na
Kowas Adventure Safaris Shamwari Farming PTY (Ltd) Ndumo Safaris Otjandaue Hunting Farm Ekuja Hunting Namibia Aru Game Lodges - pg. 20
kowasadv@iafrica.com.na shamwari@iway.na karl@huntingsafaris.net diane.svenblad@aland.net ekuja.hunting@gmail.com accounts@arugamelodges.com
Swanepoel Thiessen Thude Traut Trümper Trümper Uffindell Utz Utz (Snr) van den Berg van der Merwe van der Merwe van der Westhuizen van der Westhuyzen van der Westhuyzen van Dyk van Heerden van Heerden van Heerden van Niekerk van Rooyen van Schalkwyk van Zyl Veldsman
SFS J S PJ B U AF G W WJ R JS NH D GN C BH PW J CA HH Q PB AJL JF
Leras Hunting Safaris CC Otjimbuku Hunting Farm Wild Erongo Safaris Jamy Traut Hunting Safaris Airport Hunting & Guestfarm Airport Hunting & Guestfarm Aloe Hunting Safaris African Safari Trails
Vogel Voigts Voigts Volek von Gossler von Hacht von Koenen von Schuman von Seydlitz-Kurzbach von Seydlitz-Kurzbach von Seydlitz-Kurzbach Wilckens Wilckens Wilckens Wölbling Woortman Woortman Woortman Wrede Wright Ziller Zimny
IW RW UD CJ O HJ SA HW HS W FW S H I G DV HC VHH AFA R HH M
lerashunting@gmail.com otjimbuk@iway.na hunt@wilderongo.com info@trauthunt.com jamytraut@gmail.com max.trumper@gmail.com info@airportfarm-namibia.com aloesaf@mweb.com.na african-safari-trails@afol.com.na wilutz@iway.na Mashété Safaris info@mashete.com Otjandaue Hunting Farm otjandaue@iway.na Namibia Safari Corporation jaco@jsvdm.com Quadrant Namibia (Pty) Ltd / Ikhanas nico@ikhanas.com Aru Game Lodges - pg. 20 info@arugamelodges.com Aru Game Lodges - pg. 20 gysbert@arugamelodges.com Chui Hunting Safaris chuihunting@gmail.com Van Heerden Safaris, Ondjou Safaris - pg. 54 vhsaf264@gmail.com JJ Hunting Safaris johannjjhs@iway.na Namibia Trophy Hunting Safaris namibiatrophy@gmail.com Uhlenhorst Hunting Safaris hoecon@afol.com.na Portsmut Hunting Safaris qvr@tgh.na Farm Marienhof Trust philvs@afol.com.na Track A Trail Safaris trackatrailsafaris@hotmail.com Shona Outdorr Safaris and Lodging CC shona@africanhuntingnamibia.com; shonaoffice@africanhuntingnamibia.com Hunting & Guestfarm Gross Okandjou immo.vogel@gross-okandjou.com Voigtskirch voigtskirch@iway.na Krumhuk ud.voigts@krumhuk.com.na Blaser Safaris Ltd conwayvolek@gmail.com Orua Hunting Farm (Die Keiler) orua@iway.na Okatjo Jagdfarm okatjo@iway.na Jagdfarm Hüttenhain svkoenen@mweb.com.na Omupanda Jagd Safari CC info@omupanda.com Schoenfeld Hunting & Safaris schoenfeld.safaris@gmail.com Immenhof Hunting & Guestfarm - pg. 36 werner@immenhofhunting.com Immenhof Hunting & Guestfarm - pg. 36 immenhof@iway.na Omateva Hunting omateva@iway.na Okaturua Hunting - pg. 84 okaturua@afol.com.na Die Keiler - Jagdfarm Ongangasemba onganga@iway.na Waterberg Hunting Namibia gerd@hellabron.com Omatako Hunting & Tourism (Pty) - pg. 64 omatako@omatako.com Omatako Hunting & Tourism (Pty) - pg. 64 omatako@omatako.com Omatako Hunting & Tourism (Pty) - pg. 64 omatako@omatako.com Gurus Farm wredemad@africaonline.com.na Derleo Dev. (Pty) Ltd Hunting Op. Okatjeru Hunting Safaris info@okatjeru.com hansziller@hotmail.com Haasenhof Gästefarm michizimny@gmail.com
info@napha.com.na www.napha-namibia.com
88
WWW.HUNTNAMIBIA.COM.NA
Cellphone +264 81 371 0976 +264 81 128 6459 +264 81 202 7930 +264 81 258 0660 +264 81 206 0520 +264 81 306 3025 +264 81 204 3184 +264 81 127 4358 +264 81 288 6587 +264 81 127 1311 +264 81 122 0525 +264 81 127 0465 +264 81 220 5135 +264 81 295 6581 +264 81 147 6953 +264 81 128 5416 +264 81 311 1051 +264 81 128 9222 / +264 81 128 9223 +264 81 343 3334 +264 81 142 6407 +264 81 214 7744 +264 81 147 3816 +264 81 124 1240 +264 81 128 8288 +264 81 128 5959 +264 81 128 5074 +264 81 124 0787 +264 81 149 1853 +264 81 288 1882 +264 81 127 0906 +264 81 127 0400 +264 81 129 5536 +264 81 296 2651 +264 81 207 9043 +264 81 228 2189 +264 81 124 7617 +264 81 236 6080 +264 81 294 4676 +264 81 128 5511 +264 81 244 0401 +264 81 128 3105 +264 81 127 3543 +264 81 345 5676 +264 81 256 0105 +264 81 675 3320 +264 81 270 0660 +264 81 294 0463 +264 81 256 0054 +264 81 302 9241 +264 81 129 8999 +264 81 127 7243 +264 81 128 5858 +264 81 243 7242 +264 81 148 8378 +264 81 216 5012 +264 81 246 2075 +264 81 700 7492 +264 81 847 7784 +264 81 233 2131 +264 81 129 4252 +264 81 122 1720 +264 85 229 2885 +264 81 262 3339
Website www.jagdfarm-aurora.com www.zighenzani.com www.omalangasafaris.net www.ondjousafaris.com www.africanshippingservices.com www.arugamelodges.com www.profilesafaris.com www.orpahunt.com www.jagdfarmgras.com
www.kowasadventure.com www.huntingsafaris.net www.otjandauehuntingsafaris.com www.ekujasafaris.com www.arugamelodges.com www.otjimbuku.com www.jamyhunt.com www.airportfarm-namibia.com www.airportfarm-namibia.com
www.otjandauehuntingsafaris.com www.namibiasafaricorporation.com www.ikhanas.com www.arugamelodges.com www.arugamelodges.com www.vanheerdensafaris.com www.huntadventures.jj-safaris.com www.huntuhlenhorst.com www.phs.com.na www.trackatrailsafaris.com www.AfricanhuntingNamibia.com www.gross-okandjou.de www.jagdfarm-krumhuk.de www.blaser.de www.namibianhunting.com www.namibia-jagd.net www.namibiajagd.com www.schoenfeld-namibia.de www.immenhofhunting.com www.immenhofhunting.com www.okaturua-hunting.com www.africanhuntinginfo.com/en/ www.waterberg-hunting.com www.omatako.com www.omatako.com www.omatako.com www.okatjeru.com www.haasenhofhunting.com
walk & stalk with the
Wild
while on your ultimate namibian hunting experience ( classic plains game hunting )
Axel & Celéste Cramer | family owned hunting outfit info@namhuntexp.com
napha
namibia professional hunting association
for peace of mind - hunt with a napha member Sustainable trophy hunting is applied conservation
since 1974
NAMIBIA www.napha-namibia.com info@napha.com.na