http://www.houstonchronicle.co...he-mail-10917475.php



Missing trophies from safari prompt lawsuit


By L.M. Sixel, Houston Chronicle February 8, 2017 Updated: February 8, 2017 10:37pm




A Houston businessman who spent more than $250,000 on a safari in Africa has sued the South African operator for failing to deliver trophies from the hunt - two horns from the white rhinoceros he bagged.

In the suit filed last month in state district court in Harris County, Kevin Poynter, president of Poynter Commercial Properties in Houston, said he put his trust in Limcroma Safaris to ship the horns back to Houston, as promised, but is still waiting more than a year after the trip in August and September of 2015. Poynter and his sons bagged nearly 30 trophies, which the lawsuit did not describe, according to court documents.

The suit provides a glimpse of the big money excursions and the sometimes controversial business of catering to wealthy trophy hunters. Neither Poynter nor representatives of Limcroma would comment. Poynter's lawyer, Joel Mohrman of Houston, said, "The hunt was completely legal and proper and in accordance with all regulations in South Africa and in the United States," but Limcroma failed to fulfill its contractual duties of shipping the rhino horns.

One of the challenges facing trophy hunters is that many airlines won't transport the trophies, particularly the so-called big five African animals: lions, elephants, rhinos, leopards and Cape buffalo. Many of the bans were put in place following the public outrage after the killing by a Minnesota dentist of a beloved lion named Cecil in Zimbabwe in 2015.


Importing a trophy of an animal from Africa requires approval from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. For some species, the agency must be able to determine that hunting will benefit wild animal populations, according to the agency's permit application. One way hunters can demonstrate they're supporting wildlife is to show that part of their hunting fee goes toward conservation efforts, according to the agency.

Conservation fees

Mohrman said part of his client's hunting fees went to land owners and the South African government to help conserve, manage and maintain wildlife populations, but he did not know exactly how much.

"Without the participation of hunters in the government-sanctioned system such as South Africa, many fewer animals like rhinos would exist," Mohrman said.

But environmentalists and wildlife advocates call such contributions a pay-to-play exchange that undermines federal laws intended to protect threatened species.

"You can have conservation without killing animals," said Elliot Katz, founder of California animal rights group In Defense of Animals.

Limcroma's website said its hunting trips pursue white rhinos in South Africa, which the outfitter describes as having a healthy, sustainable population of the animals. Mohrman confirmed that Poynter hunted white rhino.

The conservation group Word Wildlife White Foundation estimates the population of white rhinos at about 20,000 and classifies them as near threatened, meaning they could become threatened in the near future.

Several hunting clubs, outfitters and hunter advocacy groups were contacted seeking comment but either declined or did not respond. In the United States, fees from hunting licenses and taxes on sales of equipment help protect habitat and sustain game populations.

Hunting, meanwhile, seems more popular than ever. Earlier this year, the Houston Safari Club, which did not respond to requests for comment, hosted its annual convention at a hotel in The Woodlands and didn't have enough space for everyone who wanted to attend. Next year, the event will move to the George R. Brown Convention Center to accommodate more hunting enthusiasts.

Horns 'very valuable'

Limcroma Safaris, the company Poynter used, advertises on its website that it has nearly 200,000 acres of land in South Africa in which clients can hunt for more than 45 species of trophy class African plains game including kudu, warthog and blue wildebeest. For guests wanting to hunt the big five - rhino, lion, buffalo, elephant and leopard - the company offers rifle and bow hunting expeditions in Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Namibia in addition to South Africa.

At the end of the day, guests can retire to thatched, air-conditioned "chalets." Fine wines and meals of wild game also are part of the luxury experience.

Getting trophies home also is an important part of the experience, according to court documents. Limcroma and its representatives told Poynter they'd make the process as smooth as possible, according to court documents. The lawsuit, which doesn't say how much Poynter paid for shipping and handling services, alleges negligence, breach of contract and deceptive trade practices.

The safari company made a commitment to keep the horns in a locked safe, but the horns were taken from an unlocked room at a logistics company that Limcroma hired to ship them, according to the lawsuit. Poynter faults the safari company for failing to determine whether the logistics company was properly insured against damage, theft or other calamities, according to court documents.

Poynter described the horns as "very valuable" in the lawsuit but did not make a dollar estimate. He is seeking unspecified damages, possession of his property and attorney's fees.

Limcroma has not filed a response to the lawsuit.

http://www.chron.com/business/...orns-he-10917594.php


The above news link has a copy of the lawsuit.

Wonder how this will end up? those horns are more then likely gone and the cost to hunt them was not cheap I am sure.

If they have accounts and there business set up some how in the united states then even being from Africa may not save them and the hunter could get some relief.

If one reads the lawsuit, the defendant has an office in Texas, employees in Texas, a bank account in Texas and lives part time in Texas.

Yup, this will be interesting.