DEAR MR. CORE

LAST MONTH WE RECEIVED NOTIFICATION FROM 2 DIFFERENT CLIENTS THAT THEIR SHIPMENTS HAD ARRIVED BUT WITH ALL THE TANNED HIDES MISSING. WE INVESTIGATED AS BEST WE COULD AND ALSO GOT THE FREIGHT COMPANIES IN HARARE (HUBER HALLES) AND IN JOHANNESBURG TO DO AS MUCH AS THEY COULD TO FIND OUT OF IF THE ITEMS COULD HAVE BEEN STOLEN AT THE WAREHOUSES AT THE AIRPORTS.

BUT AS TEST WEIGHTS ARE NOT NORMALLY CARRIED OUT WITH IN-TRANSIT SHIPMENTS WE COULD NOT DETERMINE WHERE THE THEFT WAS OCCURRING.

HUBER HALLES INFORMED THE POLICE AND ALSO HAD THEIR WORKERS AT THEIR OWN WAREHOUSE INVESTIGATED BUT NOTHING CAME OUT OF THIS.

IN LIGHT OF THE THEFTS OF TANNED HIDES ONLY, WE ASKED HUBER TO RETURN ALL CRATES TO US WITH TANNED HIDES FOR REPACKING THE SKINS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE CRATE WITH A FALSE BOTTOM. THIS THEY ONLY DID LAST WEEK. ALL CRATES WERE RETURNED WITH NO STRAPPING ON THEM WHICH INDICATED THAT THE CRATES HAD BEEN OPENED AFTER LEAVING OUR TANNERY. IT TURNS OUT THAT HUBER THEY HAD NOTICED THIS 3 WEEKS AGO AND HAD NOT BOTHERED TO LET US KNOW BUT THIS WAS WHY THEY HAD GOT THE POLICE INVOLVED.

ALL CRATES WERE OPENED LAST WEEK AT OUR FACTORY IN FRONT OF HUBER EMPLOYEES AND EVERY SINGLE CRATE HAD ALL TANNED HIDES AND LEATHER MISSING. SO WE NOW HAVE CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE THAT THE THEFTS WERE HAPPENING AT HUBER HALLES WAREHOUSE. THEY THINK THAT THE WAREHOUSE FOREMAN IS INVOLVED AS THERE WAS NO SIGN OF FORCED ENTRY. HE HAS YET TO BE ARRESTED. WE ARE HOPING AGAINST ALL HOPE THAT SOME ITEMS CAN BE RECOVERED ONCE HE IS CAUGHT.

WE ARE NOT SURE HOW HUBER IS GOING TO HANDLE THIS WITH ALL THE CLIENTS INVOLVED. WE ARE TRULY SORRY ABOUT THIS AND WILL TRY AND HELP WHERE WE CAN.

FROM YOUR CRATE THE FOLLOWING HAS BEEN STOLEN:-

1 x LEOPARD SKIN - TANNED & BACKED
2 x ELEPHANT EARS LEATHER
4 x ELEPHANT PANELS LEATHER

IT IS JUST TRULY UNBELIEVABLE THAT THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED AT THE SHIPPERS WAREHOUSE. WE HONESTLY THOUGHT THAT THE THEFTS WERE HAPPENING AT THE AIRPORTS AS HAD HEARD OF THIS HAPPENING THERE BEFORE. WE HAVE BEEN USING HUBER TO SHIP OUR TROPHIES FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS AND AM TRULY DISAPPOINTED AND DEVASTATED WITH THESE RECENT EVENTS.

I PRESUME THAT HUBER HAS NOT YET CONTACTED YOU. PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHEN THEY DO.

BEST REGARDS
TRACEY SWAN

BROMLEY GAMESKIN TANNERY (PVT) LTD
P.O. BOX 13
BROMLEY
ZIMBABWE
www.bromleytaxidermy.com
CELL: +263-712-609781
+263-712-607195

They'd better have insurance so you can be compensated somewhat.

George

Sad News!!!

I'd be pissed as hell. Don't know any form of compensation you woud be likely to see but the fair market value would still be shit for payment. Sorry for your loss and I would reiterate to the tannery that they need a new shipping partner!

Horrible !

I can feel with you...

That sucks. I feel bad for you but, I'm praying someone makes it right.

quote:

Originally posted by hunteratheart:
I'd be pissed as hell. Don't know any form of compensation you woud be likely to see but the fair market value would still be shit for payment. Sorry for your loss and I would reiterate to the tannery that they need a new shipping partner!

x2...

Terrible news!

I will give you ears and a panel or two if that would help you.

That really bites! I believe that I would demand that the tannery replace the skins or find the right ones, whatever it took, and forward them on to you. Won't, most likely happen, but you can at least try.

Sounds to me it's the shipping agent that's to blame & should be responsible for the loss rather than the tannery.

Terrible gut wrenching news. I feel sick!

I don't know what to say to you sir.

This is very sad news! No amount of funds will replace the trophies, and the shipping agent should be responsible for the entire cost of the hunts for the involved thefts, but being is Zimbabwe I doubt anything good will come of this.

I must say I’ve been very lucky with all my shipments but I don’t have anything tanned or mounted in Africa, just treated raw capes and sculls but have never had anything missing from my shipments. I don’t know how I would take such a loss! Sad for those who lost their trophies in this despicable theft!

..................................................................

Sickening to spend that kind of money on a hunt and have some scumbag steal it. Good luck to you

Very sorry to read this, a leopard is a special trophy. I hope you are able to work out some sort of restitution.

Very sorry to hear of this. I think we all consider loosing trophies a potential nightmare from theft as in your case, or seizing from USFWS. The leopard is irreplaceable! Damned shame.

I see Larry has offered some ele ears. I have some untanned, salted only, ele panels that I haven't done anything with just yet. I'd be willing to part with 1 of them if you want it. Don't know at this time what it would cost to get it tanned and it's a sorry replacement for what you've already spent, but say the word and I'll get it to you.

Todd

I hate a thief. I would shoot one of those sobs without remorse.

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the sympathy and elephant skin offers. I will pursue what avenues I can to get reimbursed for my losses. The taxidermist (Bromley, who is not at fault) still holds out some hope for a recovery and the outfitter has said there is a sting operation in the works to try and catch the culprit.
I was wondering though how much these things can be sold for on the black market?
What can a finished leopard skin be sold for in Zimbabwe?
What about the tanned elephant ears and side panels? Does anyone know what a thief could sell them for?
Are they really worth that much?

Thanks,

GunsCore

You cant just sell leopard and ele skin so there must be a buyer lined up that these are being stolen for.

All the common skins I would guess end up at airports and curio shops etc

Good luck

This is a dang shame. I hope you recover your trophies. Replacements just aren't the same.

this looks like the chinese could also be involved here pay the foreman a small amount then move the goods out in a diplomatic bag !!!!!!!!!! string them up and shoot

Mike,

Got a phone call last knight from Corris who told me about your trophies. This is shocking news!! If there is anything I can do from this side to assist please let me know.

There is a very high demand for leopard skins from the wealthier black chiefs, politicians and witchdoctors. Gone are the days when a new chief would go out and kill his own leopard, so that he had a skin of his own to prove his courage and skill for the ceremony.

quote:

Originally posted by Ganyana:
There is a very high demand for leopard skins from the wealthier black chiefs, politicians and witchdoctors. Gone are the days when a new chief would go out and kill his own leopard, so that he had a skin of his own to prove his courage and skill for the ceremony.

Spot on!

Zuma marrying again for the umpteenth time?

quote:

Originally posted by GunsCore:

Very sorry to hear of your stolen goods and I do hope they are returned.

Looks like you might want follow your sig line and make a trip back to find the warehouse foreman.

Truly sorry to hear of your loss and hope that the investigators get to the bottom of this.
To answer your question a leopard rug mount can fetch approximately $2500 on the local market and most likely more if sent overseas. Elephant leather can sell for approximately $18 per Square foot in the states.
If there is anything I can help with please contact me on cuan@tci.co.zw
We have leather and ears we could provide but I am afraid will not be able to provide you with a leopard skin due to new USFW regulations which only allows import of sport hunted leopards.

quote:

a leopard rug mount can fetch approximately $2500 on the local market

Isn't the trophy fee more than that?

If the skin was worked on by a registered taxidermist that doesn't say much for professional ethics either.

sad thing that I have come to understand the hard way is when you shoot the animal. You are only 50% of the way to getting your trophy.
Shipping agents, taxidermist can be bad. NOT ALL
Sorry you lost your leopard.

quote:

Originally posted by Trophy Consultants International:
...
We have leather and ears we could provide but I am afraid will not be able to provide you with a leopard skin due to new USFW regulations which only allows import of sport hunted leopards.

Doesn't the latest USFW regulations also ban all trophies from elephants since April, 2014. I thought elephant skin counted as such as well. Or is it just for ivory?