SCI's new darlings? They sound like a perfect replacement for OoA! Oh wait, maybe they already are... never mind. ~ Alan


Thormählen & Cochran Safaris: Questions over Namibian rhino hunt

Namibia and South Africa were allowed five black rhino trophy hunts every year until 2011 on condition that it be done on a sustainable basis.


With 251 rhinos poached so far this year in SA, the expectation is that rhino hunting, especially that of the black rhino, will be shut down.

Namibian conservation circles are outraged over the rhino-hunting activities of South African big-game hunter Peter Thormählen after he was allowed to hunt a black rhino with a Russian client last month on a permit that had expired last year.

Under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) terms agreed to in 2009, Namibia and South Africa were allowed five black rhino trophy hunts every year until 2011 on condition that it be done on a sustainable basis.

With 251 rhinos poached so far this year in South Africa, the expectation is that rhino hunting, especially that of the critically endangered black rhino, will be shut down at the next Cites conference later this year.

This has raised fears that Namibia’s black rhino population, especially its endemic desert black rhinos, may be at risk as operators compete for what could possibly the last trophies of their kind available to the lucrative sports hunting industry.

The rights to hunt three black rhinos were auctioned off for amounts of up to R1.9-million ($232,600 each) at the last auction, two of which were acquired by Thormählen & Cochran Safaris. The firm also holds rights to hunt a white rhino, its lawyer confirmed.

Insolvent

The safari outfit is owned by Peter Thormählen, a former Kimberley farmer now living in Nelspruit.

It was, however, registered in 2006 in the name of one of his employees, a young Namibian professional hunter named Phillip Fourie.

Thormählen, originally from the Free State but based in Mpumalanga when not on safari in Namibia, Botswana, or Cameroon, was declared insolvent in 1999 by the Bloemfontein High Court.

Using Fourie as a proxy allowed him to circumvent restrictions on non-Namibian companies obtaining hunting concessions and work around a legal preclusion against operating a company in his own name before a period of 10 years had elapsed.

Namibian ministry of environment and tourism officials have expressed alarm that an exception was made for Thormählen & Cochran Safaris to have its permit extended, arguing that if it was not used in the hunting season for which it was granted, it should be auctioned off again.

But Thormählen’s legal representative said that after a previous hunt for a black rhino in the Waterberg Plateau Park had led to a disappointed client threatening a lawsuit, a settlement was reached with the ministry that included the shooting of the second black rhino bull in the Mangetti Reserve in early May.

Globetrotting

What has unnerved the local rhino lobby even more is that the safari outfit has a secret partner in the person of globetrotting Namibian deputy trade and industry minister Tjekero Tweya, who has owned 40% of it since July 2008 through a company called Wedhapo Investments, previously known as Starting Right Investments Ninety Nine.

Neither Thormählen nor Tweya responded to questions forwarded to their offices. Thormählen is believed to be hunting in northern Botswana, whereas Tweya was in Canada on business.

An investigation into Thormählen & Cochran Safaris has further brought to light that Wedhapo also owns a 40% share in a hunting farm in northwestern Namibia, close to communal areas frequented by rhinos breaking out of the Etosha Pans in search of water and pasture.

Although Tweya’s name does not appear anywhere on the Wedhapo paperwork that could be traced, former farm workers from Kudusberg No 45 said that he was a regular visitor to the hunting retreat.

The workers also said the other two directors of Wedhapo, Hieronimus Witbooi and Stephanus Witbooi, both believed to be former teachers, had never been seen at the farm.

Tweya’s name is also listed as the company’s contact person in the archival files of previous auditors PricewaterhouseCoopers, including his direct line to his previous office as deputy finance minister.

Fair game

Inquiries established that the auditors resigned in 2009 because Tweya repeatedly failed to settle its bill. Wedhapo appears to be dormant, even though it owns assets conservatively estimated at between R8-million and R10-million.

With Thormählen & Cochran Safaris now consolidating its holdings – it is buying out the other owners of Kudusberg – observers fear for the future conservation of the many rare species, including desert-adapted black rhino, elephant and lions in this still wild corner of Namibia.

The outfit was last year accused of hunting a collared black-maned lion known as Leonardo, one of only about 900 noted for their distinctive behavioural characteristics setting them apart from other lions in Etosha.

The collar, later recovered under murky circumstances, suggested that the lion was killed at about 4am. Local hunting regulations prohibit the shooting of lion after dark or before sunrise.

No response could be obtained from Thormählen & Cochran Safaris in this respect, but its website’s trophy room section displays a picture of a magnificent lion shot by United States hunter Joe Russel that is believed to be Leonardo.

All these species, including the lion, appear to be fair game for the outfit. Its website offers hunts in the area for “desert lion, desert leopard, desert elephant [and] black rhino”.

Alan:

Could you elaborate on your comments in the first sentence about SCI and OOA?

Just curious.

I am sure Alan will answer your question.

What I assume is happening is that this outfite has been "donating" quite a bit to SCI, and therefore SCI is gloing to turn a blind eye to any transgression they get up it.

Personally, I make it a point to never do any business with ANY of SCI darlings.

Especially PH Of The Year awarded by SCI.

Far too many crooks have been seen in the past amongst them.

you mean like David van der Merwe, the previous darling before OoA grabbed the spotlight?? talk about a crook!!! he left dozens of SCI auction hunt buyers high and dry and was being sought by RSA police before he mysteriously disappeared on a charter flight from Tz to RSA about 7-8 years ago. for about 4-5 years he was the biggest SCI hunt donor as the questions/problems/complaints piled up and nothing was done. i remember the huge stink it created before his "disappearance" solved the problem for SCI.AND YES, IIRC, HE WAS AN SCI PH/OUTFITTER OF THE YEAR. as an aside, a friend of mine who has hunted Africa once( RSA 5 years ago) received an email a few days ago from someone he never heard of offering a Namibian black rhino hunt for $175,000. unfortunately he couldn't remember the particulars and deleted the email as he had neither the money or the interest. obviously the scammers are out there whether or not Thormalen is involved.

It is just a red flag when you see the same names pop up repeatedly in the South African media. Maybe the 'new SCI leadership' will actually enforce the stated code of ethics.

* to comply with all game laws, in the spirit of Fair Chase, and to influence my companions accordingly

* to accept my responsibility to provide all possible assistance to game law enforcement officers

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:
you mean like David van der Merwe, the previous darling before OoA grabbed the spotlight?? talk about a crook!!! he left dozens of SCI auction hunt buyers high and dry and was being sought by RSA police before he mysteriously disappeared on a charter flight from Tz to RSA about 7-8 years ago. for about 4-5 years he was the biggest SCI hunt donor as the questions/problems/complaints piled up and nothing was done. i remember the huge stink it created before his "disappearance" solved the problem for SCI.AND YES, IIRC, HE WAS AN SCI PH/OUTFITTER OF THE YEAR. as an aside, a friend of mine who has hunted Africa once( RSA 5 years ago) received an email a few days ago from someone he never heard of offering a Namibian black rhino hunt for $175,000. unfortunately he couldn't remember the particulars and deleted the email as he had neither the money or the interest. obviously the scammers are out there whether or not Thormalen is involved.

If I am not mistaken, there has been at least three recepients of PH Of The Year who have turn bad.

I took my kids on a hunt with him in 2004. We had a great time. Personally, I never witnessed anything along the lines of what OOA did. He was getting ready to start selling black rhino hunts. I was offered the first one at a very high price.

We did have a couple of incidents involving bad calls. These bad calls put approximately $10,000 on my bill. One was on a sable and the other on a croc. At the time, I thought nothing of it. Sometime thereafter, I got an e mail about en elephant in Botswana from another PH that I have known for years. Shortly thereafter, I got an e mail from Peter that seemed familiar. It was the EXACT same elephant hunt with a substantially higher price. I did not like his response when I inquired. I became a little suspicious of the bad calls afterward. I never went back.

What a shame. Completely takes away from the reasons behind the club

Allan,

I think you should SLOW down..... I know Peter VERY well and EVERYTHING they have shot or done has been WITH legal permits.

The lion they shot was taken with a problem animal permit and that means you can shoot it any time of day.

So PLEASE GET YOUR FACTS IN ORDER BEFORE YOU START SLAMMING PEOPLE.

I have to agree with Brownbear.
The rhino permit was legal. Ethically wrong? Probably. But the rhino was not poached. I was hunted with the permission of Namibian authorities.
If the guy is making money because a government official is a buddy and business partner. He might live in..... Africa, Europe, or the USA.

Ski+3

In some countries, PAC animals are NOT allowed to be shot by visiting clients, is Namibia different?

Yes, some countries are different. Craig Boddington wrote of a hunt where a problem lion became available during his hunt. He was issued a license and apparently still had cites quota. His only concern was his rifle was not the one he would have chosen had he known he was to hunt lion. Happened to a friend of mine in Botswana once also, but he quit after four days of hunting.

Tom

quote:

Originally posted by Brownbear:
Allan,

I think you should SLOW down..... I know Peter VERY well and EVERYTHING they have shot or done has been WITH legal permits.

The lion they shot was taken with a problem animal permit and that means you can shoot it any time of day.

So PLEASE GET YOUR FACTS IN ORDER BEFORE YOU START SLAMMING PEOPLE.

back up a bit, mate. all Alan did was repost an article from the southern African news media. he did not post the article as originating with him.

Whatever blame, if there is any, should be put on the PH and outfitter, NOT on the client.

quote:

back up a bit, mate. all Alan did was repost an article from the southern African news media. he did not post the article as originating with him

jdollar, re-read the post.

quote:

SCI's new darlings? They sound like a perfect replacement for OoA! Oh wait, maybe they already are... never mind. ~ Alan

Alan did more than re-post an article. That is a BS statement without any facts, another example of lynching by internet. Why would it be acceptable to make such an inflammatory statement without any basis in fact?

1. The article states that "Nambian conservation circles are outraged" that Thormahlen was allowed to hunt a black rhino. If they were "allowed" by the government, what issue do you have with Thormahlen? We do not have all of the facts.

2. Insolvent. Who cares that Thormahlen was insolvent in 1999? Many people and businesses have rough financial times. And that was 13 years ago.

3. Somehow the article tries to tie the insolvency in 1999 to Thormahlen having a partner in Namibia, making his operation in Namibia legal. It is amazing to me how easy an article such as this can cast a legitimate business in such a light.

4. Why is having a partner in a business unnerving? Most businesses have multiple owners, I know that mine does. I don't have any knowledge whatsoever on Mr. Tweya, and based on what I read in the article, I have no concerns personally that he is partners with Thormahlen.

This is an article obviously written by anti-hunters taking aim at one of our own, and we are so quick to turn on Peter Thormahlen without any real evidence, just conjecture?

SDHall - +1

jdollar - WTF, the heat in the central valley causing reading comprehension problems?

quote:

Originally posted by LionHunter:
SDHall - +1

+2

The slant of Alan's report is of no surprise to me though.

Yeahbutt, can I dart a Rhino in Namibia legally since RSA has been so wise? I damm sure can't afford to kill one!

Plus 3 - Just another typical "Bunn thing". It's all he has to do I guess. Saeed, just wondering why you always jump in when the "Bunn man" spouts off? You are really better than that, don't you think?

Larry Sellers
SCI Life Member

quote:

Originally posted by Jorge400:

quote:

Originally posted by LionHunter:
SDHall - +1

+2

The slant of Alan's report is of no surprise to me though.

quote:

Originally posted by Larry Sellers:
Plus 3 - Just another typical "Bunn thing". It's all he has to do I guess. Saeed, just wondering why you always jump in when the "Bunn man" spouts off? You are really better than that, don't you think?

Larry Sellers
SCI Life Member

quote:

Originally posted by Jorge400:

quote:

Originally posted by LionHunter:
SDHall - +1

+2

The slant of Alan's report is of no surprise to me though.

Larry,

Sadly, past experience has shown that SCI likes to turn a blind eye to any illegal actions an outfitter does, as long as they continue "donating" to SCI.

I really wish to wasn't the case.

I know Peter pretty well and I would be surprised if he would do anything illegal. He can't afford to lose his business. In addition, I am always warry of any complaints about hunting from conservation groups as too many are antis.

465H&H

quote:

Originally posted by SDHall:

quote:

back up a bit, mate. all Alan did was repost an article from the southern African news media. he did not post the article as originating with him

jdollar, re-read the post.

quote:

SCI's new darlings? They sound like a perfect replacement for OoA! Oh wait, maybe they already are... never mind. ~ Alan

Alan did more than re-post an article. That is a BS statement without any facts, another example of lynching by internet. Why would it be acceptable to make such an inflammatory statement without any basis in fact?

1. The article states that "Nambian conservation circles are outraged" that Thormahlen was allowed to hunt a black rhino. If they were "allowed" by the government, what issue do you have with Thormahlen? We do not have all of the facts.

2. Insolvent. Who cares that Thormahlen was insolvent in 1999? Many people and businesses have rough financial times. And that was 13 years ago.

3. Somehow the article tries to tie the insolvency in 1999 to Thormahlen having a partner in Namibia, making his operation in Namibia legal. It is amazing to me how easy an article such as this can cast a legitimate business in such a light.

4. Why is having a partner in a business unnerving? Most businesses have multiple owners, I know that mine does. I don't have any knowledge whatsoever on Mr. Tweya, and based on what I read in the article, I have no concerns personally that he is partners with Thormahlen.

This is an article obviously written by anti-hunters taking aim at one of our own, and we are so quick to turn on Peter Thormahlen without any real evidence, just conjecture?

I REPEAT- IF YOU BOTHER TO CLICK ON THE LINK AT THE TOP OF ALAN'S POST, ALL HE DID WAS REPOST AN ARTICLE FROM THE MAIL AND GUARDIAN. I HAVE NO IDEA OF THE VERACITY OF THE ARTICLE BUT IF YOU MORONS WOULD BOTHER TO CLICK THE LINK, YOU WILL FIND THE TEXT DID NOT ORIGINATE WITH ALAN!!!!! I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE HEAT HERE- YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH CHECKING THE SOURCE. DON'T BLAME ALAN FOR REPOSTING AN ARTICLE FOUND ON THE WEB!

Jdollar, I think you will have to read his post more slowly. I thought by putting Alan's comment in quotes you would be able to figure out what my issue was.

My issue was not reposting an article obviously written by an ignorant anti hunting moron. I can easily ignore such dribble.

My issue was Alan's comment the precluded the reposted article. He was equating Thormahlen to OOA without any basis in fact, and implying that SCI is somehow complicit. OOA was dispicable, and as a life member of SCI I am embarrassed with how that organization handled the issue.

Alan could have easily reposted the article and let everyone use their own judgement on what it meant. I think it is alow class act to make a comment like that when no proof is given to substantiate the claim. That comment could do real harm to someone who as of now has not even been accused of wrong doing by anyone other than an anti hunting idiot. I think it was done just to stir the pot, but it has a real price to someone's reputation.

Why do we turn on our own so easily? From what I know Peter Thormahlen runs a legitimate business and has done a lot for the hunting community. It sickens me that when someone within our community is attacked from the anti hunting crowd we can turn on him for our own amusement, when we should be supporting him.

Most of us know that Alan "the bun man" Bunn hates SCI for throwing him out of their Convention for soliciting without a booth, basically being a mooch, non contributor and got caught. He takes every chance he gets to badmouth the organization. Just the way it is I guess. Bad on him, but his choice. Can't just report the facts, always has to get his dig in. Oh well!!

Larry Sellers
SCI Life Member

Not sure this post is the upside or downside of the Internet.

I really expected more comments.