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Namibia: Napha Distances Itself From Rhino Cow Hunter



THE Namibia Professional Hunting Association this week distanced itself from a professional hunter who was involved in a hunt during which a rhino cow was shot in the Mangetti National Park a year ago.

Professional hunter Peter Thormählen is no longer a member of the Namibia Professional Hunting Association (Napha), after he resigned from the organisation in 2011 in the wake of a disciplinary investigation, the chief executive officer of Napha, Dietlinde Mueller, said in a statement on Monday.

Since his resignation from Napha, the organisation's disciplinary committee has received numerous complaints against Thormählen, but the disciplinary committee cannot take any action against him, Mueller indicated.

She added that Napha "deplores the fact that time and again the image of trophy hunting is marred by reckless, irresponsible or immoral actions of a small minority of professional hunters".

Napha was reacting to a High Court case in which Thormälen's company, Thormälen & Cochran Safaris Namibia, sued the minister of environment and tourism as a result of the shooting of the rhino cow by an American client of the company. The case was settled out of court last week.



Thormälen & Cochran Safaris Namibia was asking the court to order the minister to take all necessary steps to give effect to a contract in terms of which a client of the company was given permission to hunt a black trophy rhino. In the alternative, the company wanted the minister to pay it N$3,2 million so that it could refund its American client, sandwich take-away chain owner Jimmy John Liautaud, and cover the expenses of the hunt Thormälen had arranged for Liautaud.

Thormälen & Cochran Safaris Namibia bought the right to hunt one black rhino bull from the Ministry of Environment and Tourism for close to N$1,3 million in July last year.

However, the hunt that was subsequently arranged went horribly wrong when Liautaud, who had paid N$3 million to hunt the endangered animal, instead shot a black rhino cow in Mangetti National Park on 28 September last year. The cow was the only female black rhino in the park.

In documents filed with the High Court it was claimed that Liautaud shot the cow in a situation of sudden emergency when the animal charged at the hunting group, which was following the tracks of what was thought to be a rhino bull. The hunting group included two game wardens from the ministry, Thormälen, and a big game professional hunter. It was also claimed that the group had been informed that the rhino cow in the park kept to an area far to the east of the area where they were following tracks.

In a plea in response to the company's claim, the minister's lawyer stated that the terms of the contract between the ministry and the company were "substantially fulfilled" since the hunter who had paid to shoot a rhino bull in fact shot a rhino cow. The trophy of the shot animal is available for export as previously requested by the company, it was also stated on behalf of the minister.

Is this the DSC Auctioned Black Rhhino hunt from last year? I never did follow up to see how that hunt went. Doesn't sound like it went as planned.

quote:

Originally posted by Macs B:
Is this the DSC Auctioned Black Rhhino hunt from last year? I never did follow up to see how that hunt went. Doesn't sound like it went as planned.

I thought the DSC hunt was a bull rhino??

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

Originally posted by Macs B:
Is this the DSC Auctioned Black Rhhino hunt from last year? I never did follow up to see how that hunt went. Doesn't sound like it went as planned.

I thought the DSC hunt was a bull rhino??

Saeed

Note the 3rd para from the end where it says: "However, the hunt that was subsequently arranged went horribly wrong when Liautaud, who had paid N$3 million to hunt the endangered animal, instead shot a black rhino cow in Mangetti National Park on 28 September last year. The cow was the only female black rhino in the park"

Someone shot the wrong animal when (it's claimed) the animal charged unexpectedly.

What you might call a classic 'whoops moment'

Thormalen seems to find himself in a lot of "situations."

quote:

Originally posted by Kathi:
In the alternative, the company wanted the minister to pay it N$3,2 million so that it could refund its American client, sandwich take-away chain owner Jimmy John Liautaud,

Not the DSC buyer.

quote:

Originally posted by Ongwe:
Thormalen seems to find himself in a lot of "situations."

You are correct.

Cory Knowlton was the buyer at DSC.

quote:

Originally posted by bwana cecil:
Cory Knowlton was the buyer at DSC.

Did he ever do the hunt?

quote:

Did he ever do the hunt?

Do not know.

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:

quote:

Originally posted by Ongwe:
Thormalen seems to find himself in a lot of "situations."

You are correct.

Then why was he charged with conducting a unique hunt like this??

I have spoken to people that was on that hunt, and they claimed that rhino never charged.
(hearsay, but I know the guy well enough to know that he will make a statement if needed.)

Please note, even though the article gives Thormalen "credit" as a Professional hunter, according to my info, he is NOT a qualified Namibian PH of any sort.

Saeed, as to your question why he was given this hunt to conduct:
He part-owns a Namibian safari company (with some politically connected people, and a wealthy Russian I am told), and employs registered Namibian PH's to do the hunts for the company.
His company (like all registered qualifying companies) could tender on this hunt, and obviously they had the winning bid...

Love rumors.
One said it charged
One said it didn't charge
Oops ...
In the end, it is mishap, but I believe good in people, so I'm positive it was simply something that nobody did on purpose
Shit happens

AR has seen several debates on the subject of should one have a safari contract or not with some saying 'my word is my bond' etc and others (including myself) saying a contract should be considered absolutely essential for when things go wrong...... and this is a classic example of how important it is to have such a contract.