Not just any old Baboon!



When driving into Sidinda camp, tucked away in a corner of Hwange communual area concession, where the Sidinda river meets the mighty Zambezi we encountered a troop of Baboons. The PH told me that there were two things we could not do which would bring very bad luck. Kill a Baboon over there as they are considered sacred and take water from the hot spring that comes out of the Sidinda river.

A few days later as we returned to camp there was a whole troop of baboons around our chalets. Scott asks me if I wanted to shoot one and I politely declined, because I don't like shooting monkeys unless they are really up to no good. He asked if I could borrow my 375 H&H and a few seconds later a 300 grain solid had this old fellow on the ground. A second solid was required to end his life, but not before he cursed the shooter.

Two days later the PHs Swarowski binocs dissapeared never to be seen again. My rifle got lost coming home, it did show up a few days later! Moral of the story don't mess with local Ju Ju........

The pangolin has given me very good mojo... In 2004 I held one in Zim on my first buf and ele hunt. They are sacred and good luck. I entered the AR buf hunt and won, the 16 day buffalo hunt.
I upgraded to 21 days and while coming back from checking lion baits, we came across a pangolin which I held gently. Two days later a 65 pound elephant walks out and the rest is history.


Mike

I too have had good pangolin luck, two that come to mind - a 48" sable I had seen and been looking for for 2 or 3 safaris, found a pangolin and shot the missing sable 2 hrs later - this 20 years ago. And last year a big, very clever lion - 2 days to go and 3 full nights in machans later plus all sorts of trickery, found a pangolin in the morning and took the lion that afternoon... hmm.