How would the quality and success of a big 4 hunt (ele, lion, buff, leopard) in Zim compare to its more expensive counterpart in TZ or Bots? Assume the safari would be the same length. Also primary species of Lion.

Good lion in zim are in short supply with most of the prime areas well booked up for the next couple of years. In 2007 when they lift the lion hunting ban in Matetsi there should be some quality hunting on unsold quota's.

I remember in '89 when I was hunting in Chete, I overheard a PH telling someone that there were so many lions in Matetsi that something had to be done with the lionesses .. (culling ?) I kept that in the back (front and center) of my mind and went back in '94 to Matetsi .. On that trip I passed up a nice juicy leopard, (too damn nice of me, actually), shot a 48# jumbo, a lioness, and wounded and lost a cow buffalo that came with a broken leg ( nasty story) .. all in 15 days .. This all happened on the Matetsi River Ranch that Roger Whittal had some kind of ownership of back in those days ..

I've taken the big 4 in zim, it took a couple or 3 trips and I got very very lucky in getting a lion. I do know that hhk has a waiting list for matetsi for when it reopens (if). on the positive side, you'd probably get better leopard and ele in zim, and do so at a fraction of the cost. Bottom line I believe is not to delay, with big bod at the helm and lots of underlings like him in the wings, the politics there just are'nt positive.