Hunting in Namibia is always a pleasure, but the immense drought that Namibia is experiencing is putting major pressure on the Ministry of Environment, Foresty and Tourism (MEFT) that has announced the culling of more than 700 animals.
The team at Game Hunting Safaris supported this drought relief program, with a hunting safari in Namibia.
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Key Takeaways
- Due to extreme drought conditions, a state of emergency was declared by the Namibian Government.
- The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) confirmed that more than 700 animals would be culled.
- The culling will take place in various national parks throughout the country, conducted by professional hunters and safari outfitters.
- The hunting season for 2024 has been extended until 31st December 2024.
- Game Hunting Safaris, in support of the drought relief cull, booked one non-exportable hippo and one non-exportable Cape buffalo to hunt.
- The hunts took place in the Zambezi region, formerly known as the Caprivi Strip.
- The Zambezi region is rich in natural wildlife and dangerous game animals such as Elephant, Hippo, Crocodile and Cape Buffalo are abundant.
- Hunting in such hot conditions puts hunters at risk of dehydration, with recommendations of up to 5 liters of liquid required to keep hydrated.
- Many challenges face Cape buffalo hunts in the dry season, including lack of cover, large herds, and other dangers, including snakes, scorpions, and other members of the Dangerous 7.
- Animals harvested by clients of African outfitters are donated to communities that benefit by not only meat proceeds, but also a portion of the trophy fee paid by the international hunters.
- The “tortoise” technique of hunting was utilized by the hunters to stalk and approach the animal on this Cape buffalo hunt.
- After completing the hunt, the GHS team experienced the utter sadness and devastation that is occurring as a result of the drought, with numerous animals in trouble getting stuck in the mud, which they helped rescue.
Namibia: The Current Situation
In May 2024, the Namibian Government declared a state of emergency following the worse drought that the country has experienced in the last 100 years.
As the drought worsens, the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) confirmed that more than 700 animals would be culled comprising of 83 elephants, 300 zebras, 30 hippos, 60 buffaloes, 50 impalas, 100 eland and 100 wildebeest.
MEFT spokesperson Romeo Muyunda also announced in a press release that the meat from these animals will support Namibia’s drought relief program. The shooting of these animals would take place in mostly in national parks such as Naukluft Park, Mangetti National Park, Bwabwata National Park, Mudumu National Park, and Nkasa Rupara National Park.
The culling will be conducted by professional hunters and safari outfitters.
This decision was condemned by a group of conservationists, many of whom wished to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal.
MEFT stood firm by their decision. Hunting in Namibia normally ends in the month of November every year, but due to the state of emergency, it has been extended to include December 2024.
The team at Game Hunting Safaris decided to support the drought relief initiative and as such booked a hunting safari for 1 x Non-Exportable Hippo and 1 x Non-Exportable Cape Buffalo Hunt.
Travelling to the big game hunting grounds
Namibia is an African country that truly understands that hunting is conservation and as such welcomes all international hunters.
This Cape Buffalo hunt took place in the Kabulabula conservancy which can be reached via two main airline routes with a short road transfer directly into the Caprivi Strip (Zambezi Region).
Hunters have a choice of either flying into Windhoek and landing at Hosea Kotako International Airport and taking an internal domestic flight to Katima Malilo or entering Namibia through Botswana via Kasane International Airport.
Dangers on Cape Buffalo hunts during the dry and hot season
When big game hunting in Namibia during the dry season, especially during a period of drought, the biggest risk to any hunter is possible dehydration. Dehydration is not to be scoffed at, and with temperatures during the hot months such as October and November easily exceeding 104 Fahrenheit, it is a real threat.
To remain hydrated, it would be recommended to drink more than 5 liters (1,3 gallons) a day. It is also recommended to take hydrating supplements in the morning before heading out on the hunt. These supplements include electrolytes, sodium and potassium that help keep your body’s fluids in balance and regulate important functions like muscle contractions and nerve signals.
About the Caprivi Strip (Zambezi Area)
The Caprivi Strip is a geographic salient or panhandle protruding from the northeastern corner of Namibia. The Zambezi area is bordered by Botswana to the south and towards the north, Zambia, and Angola.
In this area of Namibia, African languages such as Bantu and Hukwe (local San language) are spoken. In towns and small villages such as Katima Mulilo, English and German are also spoken.
The Zambezi region is rich in natural wildlife and dangerous game animals such as Elephant, Hippo, Crocodile and Cape Buffalo are abundant.
The Zambezi River via the Caprivi gives the Namibian government access to the potential trading route on Africa’s East coast; however, this is very dependent on the season as water levels are materially affected.
Local communities have organized themselves, in conjunction with the Namibian government, into community conservancies that work to jointly manage these natural resources.
Community benefits of non-exportable Cape Buffalo Hunts
The Namibian government, depending on the size of each individual conservancy will allocate quota to each conservancy. These animals are harvested by clients of African outfitters and communities benefit by not only meat proceeds, but also a portion of the trophy fee paid by the international hunters.
Outfitters have regular meetings with the members/committee team of the conservancy and are required in terms of the concession agreements to meet certain criteria. In terms of financial aid, a portion of the outfitter’s income needs to be allocated for basic requirements such as building schools, drilling boreholes for fresh water and providing solar electricity.
For this specific non-exportable Cape Buffalo hunt, proceeds will be used to complete the office block for the use by members of the Kabulabula conservancy.
African outfitters also face large penalties if problems are encountered. By way of an example, should the outfitter not deliver meat proceeds timeously to the community and the meat is spoilt, a fine of N$ 100 000 is payable by the outfitter to the community. With such high temperatures, deliverables can be very challenging.
Challenges on a Cape Buffalo hunt in the dry season
Besides heat and fatigue being obvious obstacles to overcome, other factors play a big role:
- Lack of cover between the hunter and the Cape Buffalo. It is difficult to get close. When dangerous game hunting, taking a long shot at 60 to 100 yards does not give the Buffalo a fighting chance and in my opinion does not follow ethical hunting practices.
- In the Caprivi, Buffalo traverse over the Chobe River from Botswana and with all the water channels, you need to ensure you are in the correct country. Luckily representatives from the Namibian government accompany the hunters to ensure mistakes are not made.
- Herds of Cape Buffalo feeding on the open grasslands are in their thousands. Choosing and selecting a suitable bull in these conditions can be difficult at times.
- Once harvested, the meat needs to be processed and delivered in a short space of time. Refrigeration facilities are not available, and the carcass needs to get into the salt within a matter of hours.
- Besides Cape Buffalo, the hunting grounds in the heat are filled with other dangerous critters such as venomous snakes and scorpions, besides the other members of the dangerous 7 that occupy the same territories.
- During the dry season, local communities graze herds of cattle on the open plains resulting in an increase of activities relating to human encroachment, not that a Cape Buffalo is concerned in the least.
Shot Placement on the Cape Buffalo Hunt in Namibia
Correct shot placement is paramount. The preferred shot on a Cape Buffalo will be while the Buffalo is standing broadside, straight into the heart. In this instance, with little time to prepare the shot and being up close, firing off the shoulder, the result was the first shot being a double lung shot, just a little high, but at the same time fatal.
As death is not instantaneous and it takes a minute two for the heart to stop while adrenaline pumps through the system, the Buffalo made a turn into the water facing the Botswana border fifty yards away. The Buffalo was hit a second time while facing away, the bullet entering the rib cage behind the shoulder and existing the other side leaving a massive wound channel and anchoring the animal. The Verney Carron 500 NE loaded with 570 grain Hornady DGS expanding tips got the job done.
Even after a direct hit to the heart, many big game hunters will tell listeners that it often takes plenty more lead to convince a Buffalo that he is in fact dead.
Interesting moments on this Cape Buffalo hunt
On the hunting safari, we met Barbara and her husband Paul, an amazing and true gentlemen from Colorado in the USA, who unfortunately is terminally ill with cancer. Digging deep, Paul still managed to harvest a beautiful non-exportable Elephant bull. How much satisfaction it is to know that while your body is broken, you still managed to provide enough meat to feed villages for weeks after completing the Elephant hunt! Congratulations Paul, you are a rock star!
Following the Elephant hunt, we encountered a younger Elephant bull that was stuck in a mud pit. Pulling the Elephant out, while being exceptionally dangerous took a good many hours using a Toyota Landcruiser. Unfortunately, being very weak we found the Elephant back in the mud the following day.
The Elephant was obviously starving with the drought conditions and risked going back towards the greener fresh grass shoots. Unfortunately, it cost the Elephant his life as when we pulled him out the next day, he was just to weak to stand. As an Elephant is a CITES animal, we had to wait to get confirmation which took a few hours from the Namibian government before we could end his suffering. It really was heartbreaking to witness and if the repercussions were not potentially so disastrous, we would have shot him without authorization.
Interesting fact, if an Elephant is overheating in the sun and there is no available water, an Elephant can stick his trunk into his stomach, suck up liquids and spray himself to curb the heat.
On a happier note, we successfully manage to recover a young buffalo cow whop was also facing death in a mud pity. It is incredible to see that even while we were saving her life, you could see through her eyes that she would love nothing better than to impale and kill us with her immature horns. What character.
We also encountered some amazing Marabou Storks who were feeding on a young Buffalo carcass. It is incredible to realize just how big these birds are.
The Yellow Billed Kites were more than happy to catch bits of Buffalo meat thrown into the air and all the starving dogs from these villages were happy with their treats and enjoyed a belly full of meat.
Nothing on a non-exportable Cape Buffalo hunt goes to waste.
Accommodation and Cuisine when on a hunting safari in the Caprivi
Our African outfitter certainly knew and was skilled on how to spoil guests with excellent lodgings and accommodations considering the location and remoteness of the Cape Buffalo hunt.
Beautiful luxury tents are provided to hunters and observers with comfortable beds, hot water from a “donkey” (wood fed geyser) with each tent having the most spectacular views of the grass savannahs and African sunsets.
Evenings are spent around the fire on a beautiful deck with Mopane (hard wood) fires slow burning sharing cold beverages of your choice discussing the following days hunting plans and the day’s adventures. We watched a show presented by all the staff with dancing and singing sharing all the different African cultures which was most entertaining.
On returning from the safari daily, hunters are greeted with warm cloths and cold cocktails to wash off the day’s sweat and dust and parch your thirst.
Meals were five star! Breakfasts were a combination of hot dishes including bacon, eggs, mushrooms and freshly baked loaves of bread accompanied by a wide variety of yogurts, fruits, cheeses and cold meats.
Dinners were superb and meals varied from roasted lamb to chicken wish fresh vegetables and amazing salads to assist with coping in the heat, all of course paired with a choice of red or white wines for the connoisseurs.
This particular outfitter, whether healthy or unhealthy has an obsession with collecting enormous trees and the most gorgeous stumps that have been in the Chobe River for possibly hundreds of years. The worst drought in a 100 years, due to low water levels, has revealed these treasures. Following our successful Cape Buffalo hunt, with community members feasting for days on the rich protein harvested, we spent a good amount of time searching the Caprivi looking for more treasures to be used in beautifying the hunting lodge.
Frequently Asked Questions: Importing Rifles to Namibia
Can I take my gun to Namibia?
Yes, hunting rifles can be brought in Namibia. A temporary permit can be arranged on arrival with the Namibian police and there is no cost involved.
What is the minimum caliber in Namibia?
For a dangerous game hunting expedition, a .375 is the minimum legal caliber on a hunting safari.
Is there a limit in terms of firearms that can be brought into Namibia?
There is no limit on the amount of firearms that can be brought into Namibia, but a maximum of two is recommended with 80 rounds of ammunition per rifle.
How do I legally travel with a firearm to Namibia?
The firearms and ammunition must travel separately. This equipment is transported as checked baggage inside the cargo compartment of the aircraft. Firearms cannot be transported inside the cabin or flight deck of the aircraft.
Conclusion
While the drought conditions in Namibia are utterly devastating, you can make a difference and support the drought relief initiatives in the country. Contact our team on +27 72 782 5599 or info@gamehuntingsafaris.com for more information.
Author: P.C. van Wyk