Ole Bally
AH fanatic
Unfortunately there's a lot of this going on! It has to stop!
Last year a South African PH, his girl friend, a US client and his wife ...and the Zimbabweans involved landed up as guests of our local Free Govt Hotel Rooms (the ones without a key option) for a couple of days and nights.
They had come to shoot an Elephant in the Makuti area of Zimbabwe.
On their first day in the area with an unqualified Zim Learner PH they were caught hunting in an area where they had no permit for. They were detained by National Parks and the Police and charged for a number of things.
No Tour Operators Licence, No full PH licence, Trespassing, Hunting (with clients) without a permit etc etc...a longish list. Not to mention the 'Lacy Act' which also counts out here.
What struck me as the most disappointing thing was that over the ensuing days as they languished, the SA Outfitter didn't once call on the US Embassy in Harare to assist their citizens. When confronted over that issue he said he'd spoken to the attache in South Africa. It turned out later that the embassy was aware but wouldn't interfere as it was at the time that the delegation from Zim was over in the states meeting with members of congress about the ban of elephant product imports into the US.
It transpired that the Zim guy had gotten hold of a PAC permit for an area next door to where they were caught but knew there wasn't any animals there at the time....it's not fenced areas. He'd then sold the 'Elephant' to the SA Outfitter...as he'd done to the same guy on occasions before. The SA outfitter had then sold the 'hunt' to the client and so they landed up in Zim.
The client claimed no knowledge...which was hard to believe ( a $6000.00 Elephant hunt) But knowing what he was doing to drag his wife into it was really foolish and mean. She spent days crying inconsolably and it wasn't any 'fun'.
They got off the charges in the usual way but the I'm hoping the lesson was learned.
As clients, you have a right to know where you are going to hunt and the legitimacy of said safari. If it's an SA Outfitter taking you to Zimbabwe, ask where and find the corresponding Zim Outfitters web site and check it out! NO SA OUTFITTER may outfit a hunt in Zimbabwe without a Licenced Zim Outfitter counterpart.
In Zimbabwe, Ignorance of the Law is not accepted as an excuse when committing crimes.
If, of course, you are willing to 'unwittingly' break the law in an African country then please don't whine when you're caught and detained. It disturbs the other guests in the 'hotel'!
There are currently hunts being offered in the Gwaai area ... buyer beware!
Hunt legally and enjoy the trip of a lifetime!
Yes! PHASA was made aware of the story... They dealt with it from their end...
Last year a South African PH, his girl friend, a US client and his wife ...and the Zimbabweans involved landed up as guests of our local Free Govt Hotel Rooms (the ones without a key option) for a couple of days and nights.
They had come to shoot an Elephant in the Makuti area of Zimbabwe.
On their first day in the area with an unqualified Zim Learner PH they were caught hunting in an area where they had no permit for. They were detained by National Parks and the Police and charged for a number of things.
No Tour Operators Licence, No full PH licence, Trespassing, Hunting (with clients) without a permit etc etc...a longish list. Not to mention the 'Lacy Act' which also counts out here.
What struck me as the most disappointing thing was that over the ensuing days as they languished, the SA Outfitter didn't once call on the US Embassy in Harare to assist their citizens. When confronted over that issue he said he'd spoken to the attache in South Africa. It turned out later that the embassy was aware but wouldn't interfere as it was at the time that the delegation from Zim was over in the states meeting with members of congress about the ban of elephant product imports into the US.
It transpired that the Zim guy had gotten hold of a PAC permit for an area next door to where they were caught but knew there wasn't any animals there at the time....it's not fenced areas. He'd then sold the 'Elephant' to the SA Outfitter...as he'd done to the same guy on occasions before. The SA outfitter had then sold the 'hunt' to the client and so they landed up in Zim.
The client claimed no knowledge...which was hard to believe ( a $6000.00 Elephant hunt) But knowing what he was doing to drag his wife into it was really foolish and mean. She spent days crying inconsolably and it wasn't any 'fun'.
They got off the charges in the usual way but the I'm hoping the lesson was learned.
As clients, you have a right to know where you are going to hunt and the legitimacy of said safari. If it's an SA Outfitter taking you to Zimbabwe, ask where and find the corresponding Zim Outfitters web site and check it out! NO SA OUTFITTER may outfit a hunt in Zimbabwe without a Licenced Zim Outfitter counterpart.
In Zimbabwe, Ignorance of the Law is not accepted as an excuse when committing crimes.
If, of course, you are willing to 'unwittingly' break the law in an African country then please don't whine when you're caught and detained. It disturbs the other guests in the 'hotel'!
There are currently hunts being offered in the Gwaai area ... buyer beware!
Hunt legally and enjoy the trip of a lifetime!
Yes! PHASA was made aware of the story... They dealt with it from their end...
