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Originally posted by Thierry Labat:
I thought this might interest everyone! Just yesterday I attended the lion ageing workshop held in Harare, by Panthera and Parks and Wildlife members. So for every lion and leopard hunt conducted in Zim one has to submit a whole bunch of photos with the paperwork at completion of hunt. Photos must be of teeth, skull, nose, mane from front and side etc. The members of Panthera and Parks then sit down together at end of yr and by looking at multiple photos of each lion shot, they then come up with an age!! Minimum age for Zimbabwe is currently 5yrs old. Only 23 lion have currently been hunted in Zimbabwe thus far in 2017 and all except 1 have been 5yrs+. In 2013 before there was an age restriction there were, if I remember correctly, approximately 80 lions hunted of which most were under 5yrs old. There is no doubt that the ageing criteria has helped Zim produce better quality and older lion. So from 80 down to 20 is quite a reduction. However the reduction in lions been taken would no doubt have also been affected by the import ban into the US and hence less lion hunts being conducted in general and of course a few more “failed” hunts where lion was not taken during a hunt.

I strongly believe that it’s because of measures like these that have been taken, that have no doubt helped Zimbabwe get the lion import ban reversed. Apparently things are looking gd for Zim and Zam with regards to being able to export lions. Let’s keep at it!!

Happy Hunting.

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Originally posted by 376 steyr:
Was the ph in charge of the under aged lion given a fine?

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Originally posted by Fjold:
That sounds very positive. It would be interesting to see a breakdown of the 20 lions with an estimate of their actual ages.

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Originally posted by Thierry Labat:

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Originally posted by 376 steyr:
Was the ph in charge of the under aged lion given a fine?

Negative. The PH doesn’t get fined as such and client still gets to export his lion but the area does lose a lion on quota for the following yr so effectively losing out on a very valuable hunt. The operator may have their own “fines system” towards a PH who costs them a lion on quota for the following yr. This is all added pressure on PH. Imagine now having to tell a client that’s booked a lion hunt for the following yr that there is no more lion on quota? Not nice!