Trying to get an answer from US Fish and Wildlife on if I apply for a Cities Permit for sport hunting Cheetah in Namibia is like pulling teeth. They would not answer my question on if they are issuing these Permits. The International Cities Covention Website says they are giving 150 for this year. US Fish Wildlife did say I could send in a application (now $100. VS $25 2 years ago). Says if could take 90 days to get a answer. My question is my trip there is for 7/7/06, should I hunt and maybe take a Cheetah in hopes my permit comes through. The last permit I had was for Leopard and I had to renew it before my Leopard was ready to ship.
bobga

I didn't know that the U.S. authorized the importation of Cheetah from any country.

The US lists cheetah under the Endangered Species Act. John Jackson at the Conservation Force has an "enhancement" program in place with Namibian outfitters (your cost $1,000). Give Jackson a call and see what success they have with cheetah imports. http://www.conservationforce.org/

Regards,

Terry

Thanks for the replies. Cities permits have just this year been allowed for Cheetah, Namibia list 150 permits (from Cities International)for this year(dated April o6.) Since the Cities Covention decides how what country and how many, would not he US honour this and the importation of this animal.
bobga

If you went ahead and took a cheetah while over there, could you not make some kind of arrangement with your outfitter to hold it, with the hopes of importing it later?

I'm not certain that CITES has just this year allowed export permits for Namibia. I believe Europeans and others have been able to export cheetah from Namibia for several years.

But, it is not the CITES permit you need to worry about at this point. It is the US Endangered Species Act that does not allow the import of cheetah into the US unless one can show that the hunting of the cheetah is for "purposes of enhancement of propagation or survival". Hence the program Jackson has started, where US hunters pay $1,000 which goes to a Namibian fund set up for the enhancement of propagation and survival of the Namibian cheetah.

Regards,

Terry

quote:

I'm not certain that CITES has just this year allowed export permits for Namibia. I believe Europeans and others have been able to export cheetah from Namibia for several years.

Your right Terry, Cheetahs can be imported into other countries but the U.S. doen't not allow them to enter this country, doesn't matter if you have a legal export from the country of orgin, can't bring them in!

A few years ago, I could have shoot a monster male Cheetah in Zimbabwe, the Safari company had the permit! I settled for photo's and video

quote:

Originally posted by T.Carr:
I'm not certain that CITES has just this year allowed export permits for Namibia. I believe Europeans and others have been able to export cheetah from Namibia for several years.

But, it is not the CITES permit you need to worry about at this point. It is the US Endangered Species Act that does not allow the import of cheetah into the US unless one can show that the hunting of the cheetah is for "purposes of enhancement of propagation or survival". Hence the program Jackson has started, where US hunters pay $1,000 which goes to a Namibian fund set up for the enhancement of propagation and survival of the Namibian cheetah.

Regards,

Terry

Terry

You are correct. Europeans, Mexicans and some other countries have been able to import Cheetahs since the mid 90's.

As usual, Terry is correct.

But unless there is any doubt, everyone should know that cheetahs are not the least bit dangerous. They are shy, and once caught, are easily tamed, even as adults. Nor, as I understand it, are they particularly difficult to hunt.

They can be fearsome predators, though, of the local game, especially on ranches in Namibia. I know of one rancher whose entire herd of black faced impala were wiped out by cheetahs. He had more than one of their hides hung in his trophy room.

Cheetahs are not for me, though. Even if they were legal to import as trophies, they are without any doubt a much lesser challenge, and much less a formidable quarry, than the true spotted menace, both to man and beast, the ever savage and clever leopard.

They are hell on the native goats, springbok, blesbok, and impala in the area of Namibia that we hunt. I chased one, without the interest of shooting in 2004, and my son was able to harvest two the next year. The ranch owner said he would have them mounted for the lodge, and if the US ever allows import, let him have them to import.

After getting his, they went to another ranch and saw and played with some tame ones. That changed his mind from ever shooting another!

What I find interesting is that all cheetahs are almost genetically identical. About 10,000 years ago nearly all of the cheetahs died and the current population is the result of a very small population that survived (some scientists think all cheetahs are descendants of a single female). The scientists call it a genetic bottleneck.

Regards,

Terry

Terry,

I think Saeed mentioned once that no two cheetas are any more genetically different than first cousins.

Not sure if I remember it correctly.

Rgds,
FB

MR- Not trying to get ugly so please don't take it that way,but- I do not think I can follow your rationale as for why not hunt cheeta.Is anything that is less challenging and noble than leopard unappealing to you.If not , why single out the cheeta.As to them being tamable,I agree, but an untamed cheeta is no pushover.Just ask a rancher who is trying to get rid of a mob of them that is playing havoc on his plainsgame or livestock.I would love to take lion and leopard, civet and caracal, even wildcat.Cheeta falls right there in the middle of the others.

I have taken one so far and would gladly take another anytime I get the opportunity.And yes , that meant paying a hefty trophy fee for a cheeta that I can not import.

No problem.

I was focusing on cats (which is what most of us think a cheetah is, even if it isn't). My issue is just that many folks - myself included, at least at one time - might think that the cheetah is somehow dangerous game, and that's not the case.

Once I learned the truth, many years ago, the allure of hunting them just evaporated. The leopard is another story, of course, and is viewed by some, including the great J.A. Hunter, as the most dangerous game, especially if wounded.

I'm not knocking them for anyone else, but neither the cheetah, nor any of the other African wild cats (other than lion and leopard, of course), are for me.

But of course, as I implied above, if I were a Namibian rancher, I would no doubt want to shoot every one I could! But that's not hunting, at least not per se. It's more like pest control combined with economic self-defense!

I can agree that cheeta are not dangerous game, at least not any more so than gemsbok, bushbuck and most other plains game species.To suggest that they were in the same catagory as leopard or lion is folley.But for me at least ,there is more to hunting than just dangerous game.I guess I can appreciate it for what it is.I also think we agree on what it is, the difference is in that I am allured by it and you no longer are.That , as they say , is why we got APPLES and ORANGES.

This may also seem like a confession but I do not feel like I have to kill something everytime out nowdays, and I may someday be less inclined to shoot a cheeta than I am now.

eyedoc,

To me the cheetah is a very appealing trophy because of their great beauty, limited availability and unique nature. I'm sort of a collector as my budget will allow and I definitely would book a hunt just for cheetah when and if USF&W ever came around.

Mark

If the rules do ever change I would be thrilled to have mine mounted and displayed also as they are truly a handsome and proud looking animal.I am sure it would be a fine addition to my trophy room and would command a fair amount of conversation.

eyedoc
I agree with you, I think a Cheetah would make a outstanding mount. My problem is if I do hear back from USF&W before my trip I am not sure I could pay a trophy fee for a animal and not get it home. I still have time to find out if they are now allowed.
bobga