Gerard Erasmus (Sumsare Safaris) and hunter Brad Smith got this leopard in Namibia early in August before hunting Buffalo with us.



It is said to be the new #1. Just check how thick that tail is. What a brute!

nice!

what area of Namibia?

Johan,

This came up elsewhere recently. It's number 1 for Namibian Leopard and assuming the measurement is correct, I think top 10 for SCI and probably RW, but it's not a world record. Skull measurement was reported in the press to be 18 1/4 inches. - I don't know if that was a green measurement of if it had been allowed the required drying out period.

Bloody nice cat though.

That is one thick leopard! What are you guys feeding those things? LOL
Congrats to the hunter.

Wow again!

Any record or not, it is one big leopard.

Ahh, leopard hunting..never done it but must be better than sex

That's the cat of my dreams..

L

It is.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Lorenzo:
Ahh, leopard hunting..never done it but must be better than sex

Um...I guess that depends on a number of factors.

Awesome leopard, congratulations to the hunters.

Dave

Dave,
After roaming around a while after girls, legally or poaching, climbing windows and other stuff, I assured you that there is no way a girl can distract me from sitting in a leopard blind (or any blind for the matter).

If she is very but VERY beatiful, she MAY be invited to share the blind with me, but at the first cough or silly noice she is FIRED !!

Obviously the early I can kill the leopard the better to arrive early to town

L

Record or not that is one damned fine cat ... and one rightfully happy hunter

Congrats for sure!!!

Beautiful Leopard!! Where in Namibia, with bait, and how much did he weigh??

quote:

Originally posted by Lorenzo:
Dave,
After roaming around a while after girls, legally or poaching, climbing windows and other stuff, I assured you that there is no way a girl can distract me from sitting in a leopard blind (or any blind for the matter).

If she is very but VERY beatiful, she MAY be invited to share the blind with me, but at the first cough or silly noice she is FIRED !!

Obviously the early I can kill the leopard the better to arrive early to town

L

Lorenzo,

I admire a man who has his priorities clearly defined.

Dave

WOW. have any more pics
Please tell the story of the hunt.
Congrats that is a once in 2 life times cat.

That is one big hog of a cat! Wow!

John

Just to answer some of the questions previously noted, there is an article written, that is being submitted to SCI for their review to publish in their magazine. Stay tuned for that. The leopard weighed 82KGs (roughly 180 lbs), green scored, 18 4/16 inches which, if approved would make it #8 all time in SCI and it does appear to be the all time record for Namibia. Leopard had reportedly killed over 50 of one rancher's calves. Estimated to be 10 plus year old. Would not come to bait as he had been caught in a trap (one claw missing). Consequently, after 2 and 1/2 months of baiting we hunted him with dogs (one of which, he killed in the chase). For more ... join SCI and read the article and see the photos!!! That is, if they print it!
Brad

quote:

Ahh, leopard hunting..never done it but must be better than sex

Depends on whom the sex is with! LOL!

But a toad of a leopard nonetheless!

Huge Leopard! Congratulations! What part of Nam? I hunted Leopard there last June. Also, what length?

Thanks,

Tom

He was killed in the Khomas Hochland region. I believe somewhat north and west of Woendhoek, although I was turned around most of the time I was there. We traveled hundreds of miles every day checking baits and looking for tracks. He meaured 2.2 meters or 7.2 ft. tip of tail to nose.

Thanks for reply...I hunted nearby Omaruru (town) Northwest of Windhoek...was not successful, hunted over bait from a blind...but not very long...so couldn't expect to bag one, unless very lucky for the short time I hunted.
I combined the Leopard hunt with plains game, set baits, checked baits while I hunted plains game. When a bait was hit, then we set up a blind & another bait...to no avail...the Leopard got the bait when we weren't in the blind. I would have loved to take a Leopard, but was happy with the plains game trophies.
Best Regards,
Tom

VERY NICE

Leopard is why I want to hunt Africa.

Namibia: Leopard Hunt Condemned in SA
Absalom Shigwedha
4 November 2008

THE killing of what was probably the biggest leopard in Namibia in September has also been condemned in South Africa.

Reports say e-mails have been circulating in South Africa, condemning the killing of the leopard.

Giel de Kock, a former game warden in Namibia, was quoted by the South African Sunday newspaper Rapport as saying it was tragic that the leopard was shot, especially because of its extraordinary size.

De Kock argued that all predators are in competition with farming.

"Could it not have been better managed so that tourists could come and admire the animal in its natural environment," he was quoted as saying.

The same paper quoted South African conservationist Quinton Martins, the project manager at The Cape Leopard Trust, as saying removing predators such as leopard from their natural environment because of conflict with livestock farmers can have a detrimental effect on predator populations.

The South African condemnation of the killing of the leopard came after some readers of The Namibian last month expressed their disgust at the killing of such a magnificent animal in SMS messages sent to the newspaper.

The 82-kg leopard was shot and killed by American trophy hunter Brad Smith at the farm Gurub in the Khomas Hochland in September.

The big cat, which was about 10 years old and 2,2 metres long, was ranked the eight largest trophy of its species by Safari Club International, an international body of trophy hunters.

Professional hunter Gerard Erasmus of Sumsare Safaris, who led the leopard hunt, defended the killing of the leopard by claiming it was a problem animal.

Erasmus claimed that the leopard had killed over 50 calves in the area.

He said the leopard was killed legally as the hunter had a permit to kill it.

Approached for comment on the South African outrage at the shooting of the leopard, Director of Parks and Wildlife Management Ben Beytell said there was nothing wrong with killing the leopard.

Beytell said the Ministry has a Cites quota of about 150 endangered animals a year that can be offered to trophy hunters.


"The killing of the leopard does not pose any risks for the species," said Beytell.

In Namibia, the leopard is a specially protected species and can only be hunted with a permit.

It is listed on Cites Appendix I, a list of animals and plant species that are threatened with extinction.

Trade in specimens of these species is permitted only in exceptional and carefully controlled circumstances.

de Kock sounds like a complete tool bag.

Wonderful leopard!

We cannot hold the ignorance of the sms masses against them, we just have to continue trying to enlighten them . De Kock should know a lot better, as should Martins. I don't want to preach to the converted, but the truth is that another tom will fast fill the void left by this cat - I have witnessed many instances of this happening here in Zim, sometimes within days. Why is it tragic that it was shot because it was so big? How dumb - would they rather young males were taken? The bigger the tom shot, the better, for a number of reasons. It may still be breeding but won't be for much longer, and there will be another virile tom hanging around on the outskirts of his terriotory....Blah, blah, all been said before....

By the way, hearty congratulations to the hunters!

Good night! that is a BEAUTIFUL cat!

Leopard hunting or sex?

One can get severely mauled participating in either.

There have been times when I would have felt safer with the cat.

I have killed 2 leopard and faintly remember sex. Even with the faint recollection I still remember it as much better than killeng either of the leopards. Now if you compare it to elephant ----------------

You know why married men are "overweight" and single men are "in good shape"...?

The married man arrive home at night open the bed looks inside and say: always the same !!! and walks to the fridge..

The single man arrives home, walk to the fridge, open it,and says: always the same ??!!! and goes to bed..

Nothing to do with leopard hunting, but for me there is NOTHING better than hunting

Who knows, maybe it's just because I am a little "overweight"...

L

By anyone's standards a great cat...

Mike

Wow! Thats what we call in Afrikaans "'n Moerse groot luiperd!"

Congratulations to PH and hunter.

In good hunting.

Andrew McLaren

If that leopard hasnt been shot how would they have ever known that they had a huge leopard like that in first place.

Maybe they should condem themselves for not knowing that such a brute was around