my old taxidermist made a trip into zim going with his PH from RSA. the hunt for leopard and buff was booked into sengwa with an outfitter know as Lalapansi. When they got to zim the outfitter had changed areas to one by Hwange and doubled the trophy fee on leopard to 6000, then wanted another 4000 to move the hunt back to sengwa. His PH Dave Davenport from Tygerkloof safaris located in the cape in RSA did alot of talking and saved the day . the camp by hwange evidently didn't hold much game, and the PH did some fast talking and got the hunt moved to where was was to be in the first place. A buffalo was bagged, the leopard was passed on since the doubling of the trophy fee. Knowing my old taxidermist I'm a bit suprised he isn't in jail in zim being lets say a bit excitable. In any case it does seem like Lalapansi outfitters are one to avoid.

Ben Matiwaza was one of the operators arrested last year for currency fiddles.

If you will book with someone who is offering hunts on occupied farms... I know Sengwa is a parks area, and most of the hunts there are legit as they are under the watchful eye of parks, but...

Who was the Zim PH?

Sounds like they had overbooked their leopard quota (not uncommon practice) and simply didn't want you to try and shoot one.

PH was a Jed - don't have a last name

quote:

my old taxidermist made a trip into zim going with his PH from RSA. the hunt for leopard and buff was booked into sengwa with an outfitter know as Lalapansi. When they got to zim the outfitter had changed areas to one by Hwange and doubled the trophy fee on leopard to 6000, then wanted another 4000 to move the hunt back to sengwa. His PH Dave Davenport from Tygerkloof safaris located in the cape in RSA did alot of talking and saved the day . the camp by hwange evidently didn't hold much game, and the PH did some fast talking and got the hunt moved to where was was to be in the first place. A buffalo was bagged, the leopard was passed on since the doubling of the trophy fee. Knowing my old taxidermist I'm a bit suprised he isn't in jail in zim being lets say a bit excitable. In any case it does seem like Lalapansi outfitters are one to avoid.

Along my lines of thought, I would have researched and booked with a Zimbabwe safari operator for a Zimbabwean hunt. Not taking anything away from the RSA chaps... I wouldn't book a hunt in the East Cape with a Zimbabwean outfitter either. But there are plenty of reputable companies in Zim who could host a leopard/buff hunt. Now Mozambique is another matter... it seems the South Africans and some Zimbabweans are leading the way to opening that country's hunting. But that is a completely different topic!

Butchloc-I have friends who hunted with Lalapansi safaris and their reports are sort of similar to yours. They offer hunts on some farms which have been siezed and clients must be careful.
Ganyana-I heard, at the SCI covention,that Ben Matiwaza was cleared of the charges and is now in the clear. Wasn't he a General Officer in the Zimbabwe army?
All the Best
Gizmo

Thanks for the warning.