The resumption of trophy shipments from Zimbabwe to the USA is slowly getting going again. On Tuesday this week a meeting was held in Bulawayo between the all the main players in the shipping / taxidermy business. Part of what was discussed is that I will post monthly updates on behalf of Taxidermy Enterprises, Maple Freight and Freight Consultants (and any of the others who send me details).

Taxidermy Enterprises have had to hire a new ware house to house all the consignments waiting to ship - over 1000 crates, Maple is holding almost double that number and Freight consultants somewhere around 800 consignments - all ready to go and just awaiting parks to issue the export papers.

Implementation of the new CITES documentation by national parks has been very slow. On a positive note however, is that Fungai Maroke is now Acting Regional Manager (PW) for Matebeleland And the Bulawayo permits office falls under him. He is a superb officer and since taking over from Tawanda Gotosa (who is on Study leave) has more than trebled the permits office out put.

The industry is trying to assist him and apply pressure to parks head office to equipt the Bulawayo office with the staff and computers they need. (Currently one qualified typist on contract and one computer - other staff are assisting and extending the work day but they are not typists and there are too many mistakes on permits).

Also, the new permits were clearly designed by a true bureaucrat with no idea of how they will be used, and there is no place on the new permits to enter the CITES tag numbers and Ivory serial No/weight. This means that Ivory cannot be shipped.

The industry in conjunction with SOAZ is working with ministry to try and get the relevant parks officers to fix the problems. Once the new cabinet is named this week we can peruse this with more vigour

Lastly, many Foreign hunters do not realise just how much email does not arrive! I have often seen comments on this forum to the effect that “I have mailed X three times and had no replyâ€.

If you do not put a delivery and read receipt on your mails you cannot assume people have received them. Zimbabwe goes through spates where one server or another is particularly bad. A few months ago, I ran a test and found that 53% of the test mails sent from my office to my home e-mail address didn’t arrive - and that is with the same server within the country.

Don Heath
Editor, African Hunter Magazine
Z.P.H.G.A. Committee

Thanks for the update Don.

Don,

Thanks for the update. Waiting for elephant tusks from March 2007.

Thanks for feedback. I won't hold my breath, but its nice to know some progress is being made.

let's see, 3800 crates awaiting shipment. with limited air freight service out of Zim. and Africa just being Africa, it shouldn't take more than 2-3 years to clean up the backlog( of course, the new trophies just coming in from the bush will make it here by about 2011).

i would still like someone's best guess as to how long it will take to get 3800 crates( not counting this years kill) to get shipped out of Zim., considering the limited air service. i consider my trophy room and the memories it invokes a vital part of the hunting experience. if i have got to wait 2-3 years just to get the capes, horns, etc. back, then another year for the mount to reach me- forget it. i had a wonderful leopard hunt in Zimbabwe 6 years ago( didn't get a cat) but no way would i put up with these kinds of waits anymore. i just don't have that kind of time left.

My crate is with Maple freight now, via Tax Ent from my 2006 hunt.

Thank God I had my leopard hide shipped earlier and mounted here in the USA!!!

I can understand the frustration. jdollar, I feel the same way. The constant discussion on whether Zim is safe or not for hunting is really moot if the trophies are not being shipped. Perhaps I am biased but just about the number one priority for me when looking into a safari is getting the trophies home in good condition. I hope this gets sorted out soon.

I have a crate that made New York without the correct CITIES permit for the leopard. I'm hoping the Fauna and Flora can straighten it out without the abserd step of having to actually ship the crate back to Zim to have the paperwork sorted out. (a threat that has been made a couple of times).