As the old saying goes, when it rains it pours. I was already having a bad day that just got worse.

I took a 53 X 50 pound elephant in Zim last October. This was 100% in compliance with all laws and rules. I am told today that I may not get it into the country. The basic problem is that it was shot in 2010 but registered in 2011. USFW won't allow it to be imported because it has been registered in the wrong year. They won't allow this to be counted against the 2011 quota.

This makes me wonder what happens when someone whacks a jumbo in late December of a year?

Has anyone else seen this? If so, how did you handle it?

I am now thinking about my first elephant which was shot in 1996. It is big and is still sitting in a garage in Bulawayo. Long story.

Any advice will be appreciated.

Contact SCI, the NRA and then contact you Senator and Congressmen. Make them work for you for a change. Send them a few e-mails and letters. I think you may have some luck or at least get some more folks in your corner.

Sorry to hear about your circumstances.

Matt

There was an article in this months Sports Afield on this very subject. Evidently, the USFW has a zero tolerance with import paperwork. Your fault, shippers fault, importing govt's fault, my fault--it is considered contraband and is confiscated. You have my sympathy for such a chickenshit policy.

I am about to blow my top over this.

In 96, I whacked a big bull. If I recall correctly, it was 75X74 or something like that. It charged unprovoked. I hammered it. It fell but got away. It died about 100 yards away. It died standing on the cut line between Hwange & Tscholotcho. It's rear end was in Hwange and it's head was in Tscholotcho. It was waiting on us.

Now you want to talk about bureaucratic BS. Parks wanted to claim it. The Council wanted to claims it. At some point, I quit trying. The tusks are in a garage in Bulawayo. Apparently, they can never be exported. This history doesn't make today's debacle any easier.

Now put this in perspective. I tried to do everything right. I am basically being punished by the same government that can't keep the South Africans from doing illegal hunts there.

Go figure.

Larry,

Damn but you don't have a lot of luck with elephants do you!

You really have my sympathy there my friend...... all govts and govt agencies are a bunch of bastards and the USF&WS seem to be amongst the very worst!

I don't know what the costs are but you might like to consider having a word with John Jackson and see if he can help.

Is there any chance you can claim the front half of the first elephant?

Sorry about that buddy...... I just couldn't resist it!

Larry, sorry to hear about the import problem. Although this seizure article concerns leopards, it seems it is the same circumstance as your elephant,year taken vs. year exported. Good luck on the import, hope it all works out.



Posted 27 October 2010 17:40
New Reasons For Leopard Trophy Seizures By USFWS

(posted October 26, 2010)

If you have a leopard trophy on its way to the United States, contact your importer immediately to ensure your trophy will not be seized by the US Fish & Wildlife Service. According to John J. Jackson, III, of Conservation Force, a number of leopard trophies have already been seized by USFWS agents for a new reason having to do with the year the leopard was taken versus the year it was exported.

As Jackson reports in this month's issue of Conservation Force, leopard tags and export permits that cite the quota for the year of the export rather than the year of the hunt are now being treated as invalid by USFWS inspectors. Those trophies are subject to forfeiture under the regulations of the Endangered Species Act, by which USFWS enforces CITES regulations. Already trophies from Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe have been seized at ports from San Francisco to New York. Because the agency treats CITES imports with any paperwork errors as contraband, hunters lose all property rights to their trophies.

To prevent this from happening with your trophies, download the updated Trophy Problem Checklist Jackson has created. Send a copy to your operator and expediter in Africa and to your broker in the United States. Make sure each recommended step applying to your trophy has been taken. If your shipment arrives in the US with any errors on the paperwork, return it immediately. If the trophy is seized, you will most likely lose it forever.

The November issue of Conservation Force Bulletin features the full story on this development and the reason why US Fish & Wildlife has taken this route with trophies. Look for it in your e-mail inbox later this week. - Barbara Crown, Editor

I now remember seeing that article. Thanks.

Sorry for your bad elephant luck, Larry.

With this latest one, however, I would communicate in the strongest terms with the Zim outfitter, and tell him that he needs to own the problem and damned well solve it at his end!

Michael,

I could well be wrong but as I read it, the problem isn't with the Zim outfitter at all, it's with the USF&WS who are simply being bloody minded.

I'd bet that pretty much any other country (excluding Australia) would have accepted the import without any problems at all.

I don't know that the safari company did anything wrong.

There is simply a difference between how the US wants these things handled and how Zim has traditionally handles these things.

Larry,

I would call John Jackson forthwith.

Jeff

What month did the hunt take place, and why was the elephant not registered in 2010?

I still say that it's the outfitter's problem to solve. Larry sure as hell can't solve it.

And by the way, it isn't bad policy, to my way of thinking, for USF&WS to require that CITES-listed game shot in any given year be counted against the authorized quota for that year.

That's pretty basic stuff.

quote:

Originally posted by Matt Moore:
Contact SCI, the NRA and then contact you Senator and Congressmen. Make them work for you for a change. Send them a few e-mails and letters. I think you may have some luck or at least get some more folks in your corner.

Sorry to hear about your circumstances.

Matt

These clowns will not help a bit. Too busy looking after their own interests to concern themselves with our problems. Only the USF&W can accept the CITIES and clear the ivory.

Larry, that just sucks. I know exactly what you are going through. I have a few ideas that might help.

PM sent.

I have a friend who just was required to ship his full body mounted Leopard back to RSA, where it was mounted. CITES all in order but tag on Leopard was not original tag from Zambia....

I want to stress that I, in no way, blame Zambezi Hunters. They did exactly what has been done thousands of times before. The USFW is the problem.

I am going to let Zambezi Hunters try and work it out. If not, i am going to congressmen . I made a lot of political contributions last year. I am sure I can get to one of them. Further, one of the law firms I use has an ex partner that is a senator. I know they can get to him.

I had a big run in with the USFW in 92. While I prevailed, I do not wish to repeat that.

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Robinson:
I still say that it's the outfitter's problem to solve. Larry sure as hell can't solve it.

And by the way, it isn't bad policy, to my way of thinking, for USF&WS to require that CITES-listed game shot in any given year be counted against the authorized quota for that year.

That's pretty basic stuff.

Larry
I'm with Michael on this one. It seems pretty clear that an elephant killed in 2010 should be registered in 2010.

I would be curious to hear what the date stamp on the tusks reads.

I really hope things get straightened out for you.

This situation is a result of the Zimbabwe Authorities having a different interpretation of the CITES regulations to the US Authorities. From my understanding, the USF&WS interpretation is that CITES have two different classifications of quota that they monitor, an ‘export quota’ and a ‘harvest quota’. Elephant is an export quota which means they want to monitor the year in which an elephant trophy is exported. So if Zimbabwe has a CITES approved quota of 500 elephant for export each year, the CITES paperwork must reflect what number elephant it is being exported from that year, irrespective of what year it was shot/harvested. On the other hand leopard is a harvest quota and the CITES paperwork must reflect what year the leopard was harvested, irrespective of what year it is exported.

At present, Zimbabwe Parks regulations treat elephant as a harvest quota, not as an export quota. So an elephant shot in 2010, even if shot on 31 December 2010 and registered on 1 January, would get a 2010 CITES code. It would then be registered and exported in 2011 but with 2010 codes. As can be seen, the Zim and US regulations appear to be in conflict with each other as US regulations want the ivory to have 2011 codes in this scenario.

With USF&WS tightening up the enforcement of their regulations, we are very careful about ensuring all paperwork is in order before shipping. I am glad we did it in this case with Larry’s ivory as otherwise there would have been a good chance it would have been seized on arrival in the US. At least we still have the crate here.

I am sure there will be a solution to this as everything is legal and above board. We are communicating with Sheila Einsweiler, the senior wildlife inspector with Fish & Wildlife and Olivia Mufute, head of International treaties for Parks here in Zimbabwe. It is just frustrating for Larry as it is delaying the shipment of his trophies.

I will keep this forum updated on what happens as I am sure hunters and operators alike would be interested to hear the outcome.

I think there's more to the USF&WS attitude than first meets the eye.

The warning that Kathi posted referred to leopard which are CITES I whereas Zim elephants are CITES II and it strikes me that USF&WS have suddenly decided to apply the same rules (of their own making) to both catagories.

Just Heartbreaking. I would be calling John Jackson pronto.

I am glad Alistair posted the details.

I am sure it will get resolved one way or another. I hope it is sooner rather than later.

Larry, you obviously have a well-informed and truly professional outfitter who is taking responsibility and who seems to be doing his best.

That is to his credit and I wish him, and you, the best of luck sorting this out.

MR:

I have been on a lot of trips in my life. ZH is the single most organized and efficient company i have ever been with .