TWO Otjiwarongo area game farmers and a helicopter pilot who are accused of stealing three prized sable antelope from the Waterberg Plateau Park have been granted bail of N$60 000 each after spending more than a week in Police custody.
A bail application by Otjiwarongo district farmers Herbert Henle (47) and Hans Erno Diekmann (51), helicopter pilot Jurgen Richard Benz (35) and a farm manager employed by Henle, Michael Graf Zu Bentheim (33), ended in the Otjiwarongo Magistrate's Court around 20h00 on Monday evening with Magistrate Stanley Tembwe granting bail to all four men.
Henle, Diekmann and Benz were granted bail of N$60 000 each, while Zu Bentheim was granted bail of N$10 000.
Henle, Diekmann and Benz were arrested on October 25, allegedly after Henle and Diekmann were found on a gravel road east of Otjiwarongo transporting three sable antelope by truck from a farm belonging to the Diekmann family and situated next to the Waterberg Plateau Park, without having the necessary permits to possess and move the animals.
Benz is claimed to have piloted a helicopter that was used in capturing the sable antelope before they were loaded onto the truck.
It is being alleged that the animals came from the Waterberg Plateau Park, from where they had escaped, possibly when a rhino broke through a fence of the park some three months ago, a source indicated yesterday.
Henle, Diekmann and Benz made a first appearance in the Otjiwarongo Magistrate's Court on Monday last week. They have been charged with theft, hunting of protected game, and transporting game without a permit.
Zu Bentheim was arrested a day later. He has been charged with obstruction of justice, after he allegedly removed possible exhibits in the case from the truck that had been used by Henle and Diekmann.
The truck belongs to Henle, who owns the Mount Paresis Guest and Hunting Farm west of Otjiwarongo.
The court was told during the bail application that Henle and Diekmann are admitting that they were found in possession of the sable antelope and that they did not have a permit to transport the animals. They are however disputing that the animals had been stolen from Waterberg Plateau Park.
The Magistrate granted the bail on condition that the charged men may not interfere with the Police investigation of the case, may not leave the district of Otjiwarongo or travel outside Namibia without permission from the Otjiwarongo Police Station commander, and that Henle and Diekmann may not remove or dispose of any sable antelope on their farms for three months.
The four men have to appear in court again on January 14 2010.
Defence lawyer Jan Wessels represented Diekmann while Louis Botes represented the other three men during the bail application. Public Prosecutor Carol-Ann Esterhuizen appeared for the State.
VIERANAS SAFARIS - Official Weblog
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Lion and Elephant Update - CITES Meeting
Continuing subscribers know that The Hunting Report has been warning about a move to uplist African lions to Appendix I.
Such a listing would essentially close lion hunting, especially for sportsmen from the US, where US Fish & Wildlife has a history of shutting down trophy imports for any species on the Appendix I list.
The efforts to uplist lion are not all motivated by anti-hunting advocates, such as Kenya, but also by conservationists who believe the listing would create the political will in various countries to support initiatives to protect and conserve lion populations under pressure.
The next CITES Convention of the Parties is scheduled for this coming March, but the deadline to get proposals on the agenda has passed.
This means that anyone who had booked a lion hunt for 2010 or beyond can relax. Lion hunting will continue to take place. Just be aware that the management plans in progress will likely affect hunting in one form or another, much like in Tanzania, where the six-year-old rule is being enforced with stiff penalties.
All things considered, the hunting community should gladly support these conservation plans.
The other good news is that both Tanzania and Zambia have proposed to downlist their elephant to Appendix II for trophy hunting purposes. This means that US hunters would no longer have to apply to US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) for an import permit.
For the past two years USFWS has delayed making its self-imposed non-detriment findings on Tanzania elephant and has not issued import permits until well after the hunting season has started. This has caused unnecessary angst among US hunters heading to Tanzania for an elephant hunt. Some have even cancelled hunts because they had no assurance that the Service would issue the permits - this despite Tanzania having the second largest elephant population in Africa.
As for Zambia, USFWS has delayed approving importation applications for elephant trophies from this country for five years. In the November issue of Conservation Force Bulletin, John J. Jackson, III of Conversation Force reports how the Service has sat on these applications without taking the first step to review them and has just now begun to ask Zambian authorities for information they already provided five years ago.
Once Zambia and Tanzania downlist their elephants at the next CITES Convention, US hunters will be free to import elephant trophies from these countries without an import permit, just as they already do for elephant from Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
Jackson will have more details on both the African lion efforts and the plans to downlist Tanzanian and Zambian elephant in the December issue of Conservation Force Bulletin.
Monday, October 19, 2009
VIERANAS SAFARIS - Namibia Eland Hunt
Blue Heaven
For the best in African bowhunting at an affordable price, never overlook this overlooked country. By Tim Herald
Admittedly, I am an African addict. I love the variety of game, the presence of truly dangerous game, the different cultures, the kaleidoscope of unforgettable sights, the unique smells, and the aura of the Dark Continent's historical hunting. However, South Africa has got a little tame for me, and countries like Tanzania, Botswana, and Zambia are beyond my budget.
Enter Namibia, located just above South Africa on the Atlantic coast. This independent nation is stable and safe, and the national language is English. Hunting opportunities abound in Namibia, from the famous Kalahari Desert, to the hill and mountain country, to the Caprivi Strip that can be as wet and wild as anywhere on the continent. Namibia has its game ranches, but it has plenty of quality free-range hunts, too.
A couple of years ago I met professional hunter (PH) Roger Coomber on the Accurate Reloading African Forums (http://forums.accuratereloading.com). Our mutual passion for bowhunting surfaced early, we became fast friends, and before long I was planning a bowhunt with Roger and his Vieranas Safaris. Roger saves the bulk of his land for bowhunting only.
After months of anticipation, a couple of friends and I took off from Cincinnati on our way to Windhoek, Namibia, via London. With a 15-hour layover in London, we spent the day sightseeing and made the final leg of the trip that evening. Roger met us in Windhoek and personally drove us to his place in the northern part of the country.
Before we began our hunt, Roger made us all pass a shooting proficiency test, which included shooting with broadheads through a narrow window frame that simulated a blind window. All of us passed, so we were good to hunt.
My number one priority was to take an eland. Roger had been seeing a herd at one of his waterholes, but they were drinking only every two to three days. He explained that this herd was ranging up to 30 miles and was likely leaving the property at times. With Cuddeback trail cams on most of his waterholes, he had identified two mature bulls in the group, one an ancient old bull with incredible mass and another with slightly longer horns that veered out into a wide "V."
When eland bulls grow old, their color turns from tan to slate gray, and they get a distinctive tuft of longer hair on the forehead. These old boys are commonly called blue bulls, and I had decided I would shoot only a blue bull. Knowing from Roger's trail cam photos that two such bulls roamed here, I vowed not to shoot any other animal until I got a shot at one of the big guys.
Well, I waited, and waited. During three full days in the blind, I saw giraffes, warthogs, and many other animals, including one tempting mature kudu bull. But I kept my resolve and passed on the shot.
Finally, a half hour before sundown on the third afternoon, a huge shadow passed over the window of the blind. Peeking out, I saw a bull eland standing 25 yards away but immediately realized he was a tan bull and not one of the old guys.
Then I heard the tell-tale click, click of an eland walking. Through my binoculars, I quickly spotted the wider-horned blue bull from Roger's trail photos. He was 75 yards out and coming.
By then, the younger bull was drinking, and the big bull strolled right in and started drinking, offering me a broadside shot. Still, I had a major problem. The younger bull was directly behind him. I hardly expected a pass-through on an animal that big, but I was not willing to take the chance.
After nearly five minutes of guzzling, the younger bull turned to leave, and immediately I drew my bow, settled my top pin low in the chest, and touched off my release. The arrow hit perfectly, and the bull jumped high, kicking his back legs like a bucking bronco.
The eland sprinted in an arc, but less than 80 yards from the blind his back end started to wobble and he went down. In my wildest dreams, I never anticipated shooting a monster bull eland and watching him fall within sight of my blind.
He was everything I had hoped for. His hide showed the blue-gray coloration of a bull past his prime. His long spiral horns had wonderful ivory tips and great mass. And the body was gargantuan. I have killed several kudu, two Cape buffalo, and many North American heavyweights like elk and moose, but for sheer bulk this eland blew them all away. He was a monster.
When not chasing critters with his bow, the author serves as Director of Marketing for Bad Boy Buggies. He lives in Lexington, Kentucky.
Author's Notes: After taking my blue bull, I became an opportunist, meaning that any good trophy within range was fair game. That approach resulted in my taking a red hartebeest; a huge male baboon; a warthog; a gorgeous Hartmann's zebra; and, finally, on the last day of the hunt, a mature kudu bull, in my eyes absolutely the most beautiful and regal of all the plains game animals.
I used a BowTech 101st Airborne at 70 lbs. draw weight, Carbon Express Maxima Hunter 350 arrows, 100-grain Wac 'Em broadheads, and Nikon's EDG 10x42 binoculars, critical for judging trophy quality and sex.
For an African hunt in a safe and stable environment, give Namibia a look. You can take six or more animals and be treated like a king for less than the cost of a New Mexico elk hunt.
Roger Coomber maintains a small operation so he can guarantee high-quality hunts for parties of one to four hunters. Roger is knowledgeable on all aspects of African bowhunting and practices the highest standards and ethics.
His prices are fantastic, and his bowhunting-only area of nearly 22,000 acres supports plenty of game. For further information on Robert Coomber's Vieranas Safaris, visit the website http://www.vieranasbowhunt.com/.
The above article appeared in BOWHUNTER MAGAZINE : http://www.bowhunter.com/
Warthog Boar
Red Hartebeest Bull
Hartmann's Mountain Zebra
For the best in African bowhunting at an affordable price, never overlook this overlooked country. By Tim Herald
Admittedly, I am an African addict. I love the variety of game, the presence of truly dangerous game, the different cultures, the kaleidoscope of unforgettable sights, the unique smells, and the aura of the Dark Continent's historical hunting. However, South Africa has got a little tame for me, and countries like Tanzania, Botswana, and Zambia are beyond my budget.
Enter Namibia, located just above South Africa on the Atlantic coast. This independent nation is stable and safe, and the national language is English. Hunting opportunities abound in Namibia, from the famous Kalahari Desert, to the hill and mountain country, to the Caprivi Strip that can be as wet and wild as anywhere on the continent. Namibia has its game ranches, but it has plenty of quality free-range hunts, too.
A couple of years ago I met professional hunter (PH) Roger Coomber on the Accurate Reloading African Forums (http://forums.accuratereloading.com). Our mutual passion for bowhunting surfaced early, we became fast friends, and before long I was planning a bowhunt with Roger and his Vieranas Safaris. Roger saves the bulk of his land for bowhunting only.
After months of anticipation, a couple of friends and I took off from Cincinnati on our way to Windhoek, Namibia, via London. With a 15-hour layover in London, we spent the day sightseeing and made the final leg of the trip that evening. Roger met us in Windhoek and personally drove us to his place in the northern part of the country.
Before we began our hunt, Roger made us all pass a shooting proficiency test, which included shooting with broadheads through a narrow window frame that simulated a blind window. All of us passed, so we were good to hunt.
My number one priority was to take an eland. Roger had been seeing a herd at one of his waterholes, but they were drinking only every two to three days. He explained that this herd was ranging up to 30 miles and was likely leaving the property at times. With Cuddeback trail cams on most of his waterholes, he had identified two mature bulls in the group, one an ancient old bull with incredible mass and another with slightly longer horns that veered out into a wide "V."
When eland bulls grow old, their color turns from tan to slate gray, and they get a distinctive tuft of longer hair on the forehead. These old boys are commonly called blue bulls, and I had decided I would shoot only a blue bull. Knowing from Roger's trail cam photos that two such bulls roamed here, I vowed not to shoot any other animal until I got a shot at one of the big guys.
Well, I waited, and waited. During three full days in the blind, I saw giraffes, warthogs, and many other animals, including one tempting mature kudu bull. But I kept my resolve and passed on the shot.
Finally, a half hour before sundown on the third afternoon, a huge shadow passed over the window of the blind. Peeking out, I saw a bull eland standing 25 yards away but immediately realized he was a tan bull and not one of the old guys.
Then I heard the tell-tale click, click of an eland walking. Through my binoculars, I quickly spotted the wider-horned blue bull from Roger's trail photos. He was 75 yards out and coming.
By then, the younger bull was drinking, and the big bull strolled right in and started drinking, offering me a broadside shot. Still, I had a major problem. The younger bull was directly behind him. I hardly expected a pass-through on an animal that big, but I was not willing to take the chance.
After nearly five minutes of guzzling, the younger bull turned to leave, and immediately I drew my bow, settled my top pin low in the chest, and touched off my release. The arrow hit perfectly, and the bull jumped high, kicking his back legs like a bucking bronco.
The eland sprinted in an arc, but less than 80 yards from the blind his back end started to wobble and he went down. In my wildest dreams, I never anticipated shooting a monster bull eland and watching him fall within sight of my blind.
He was everything I had hoped for. His hide showed the blue-gray coloration of a bull past his prime. His long spiral horns had wonderful ivory tips and great mass. And the body was gargantuan. I have killed several kudu, two Cape buffalo, and many North American heavyweights like elk and moose, but for sheer bulk this eland blew them all away. He was a monster.
Cape Eland Bull
Without question, 33 hours in the same blind, numerous passed shots on other animals, and a stressful 10-minute encounter had all culminated in one of my most cherished hunting trophies, a giant blue bull.When not chasing critters with his bow, the author serves as Director of Marketing for Bad Boy Buggies. He lives in Lexington, Kentucky.
Author's Notes: After taking my blue bull, I became an opportunist, meaning that any good trophy within range was fair game. That approach resulted in my taking a red hartebeest; a huge male baboon; a warthog; a gorgeous Hartmann's zebra; and, finally, on the last day of the hunt, a mature kudu bull, in my eyes absolutely the most beautiful and regal of all the plains game animals.
I used a BowTech 101st Airborne at 70 lbs. draw weight, Carbon Express Maxima Hunter 350 arrows, 100-grain Wac 'Em broadheads, and Nikon's EDG 10x42 binoculars, critical for judging trophy quality and sex.
For an African hunt in a safe and stable environment, give Namibia a look. You can take six or more animals and be treated like a king for less than the cost of a New Mexico elk hunt.
Roger Coomber maintains a small operation so he can guarantee high-quality hunts for parties of one to four hunters. Roger is knowledgeable on all aspects of African bowhunting and practices the highest standards and ethics.
His prices are fantastic, and his bowhunting-only area of nearly 22,000 acres supports plenty of game. For further information on Robert Coomber's Vieranas Safaris, visit the website http://www.vieranasbowhunt.com/.
The above article appeared in BOWHUNTER MAGAZINE : http://www.bowhunter.com/
Red Hartebeest Bull
Hartmann's Mountain Zebra
Chackma Baboon
Southern Greater Kudu Bull
Sunday, October 18, 2009
NAMIBIA: Father and Son Bowhunt
Scott and Chris from Watkins Minnesota returned to hunt with Vieranas Safaris again at the end of August 2009, here are some of their excellent trophies taken with bow and arrow in Namibia during their 14 day hunt.
VIERANAS SAFARIS - main hunt camp "The Waterhole"
Scott's shot this mature Blue Wildebeest Bull
Chris shot a Blesbuck Ram
Chris and his Black-backed Jackal
Scott with his Black-baked Jackal
Chris with a beautifull trophy Red Hartebeest Bull
Scott shot this excellent Letchwe Ram
Chris and his Warthog Boar
Chris - Black Wildebeest Bull
Chris - Gemsbok / Oryx 
Scott - Gemsbok / Oryx
Scott - Hartmann's Mountain Zebra
Chris - Hartmann's Mounatin ZebraCongratulations guys, keep those arrows flying straight!
AIR NAMIBIA FLY TO ZAMBIA
Windhoek — Air Namibia will launch a flight to Lusaka, Zambia from 25 October, the airline said this week.The airline said it will operate five weekly flights between Windhoek and Lusaka, via Johannesburg. In addition to traffic between Namibia and Zambia, the airline will also offer flights for traffic between Johannesburg and Lusaka.
"We are also pleased to announce at the same time that we will be improving our service offering by providing an early morning departure at 08:10 from Windhoek to Johannesburg and an evening departure at 18:30 from Johannesburg to Windhoek.
This service improves the offering to Windhoek-based business and leisure travellers who can now travel to Johannesburg and return the same day, affording them a full business day.
The same service option is available to Johannesburg originating business and leisure travellers," the airline said. Air Namibia said the Lusaka route marks the beginning of its aggressive regional routes expansion to protect revenues that have come under immense pressure since the onset of the global financial crisis as well as claiming its rightful share in the long-standing battle for control of the continent's airspace.
"The introduction of the Lusaka route is in line with Air Namibia's business plan adopted in 2007 to consolidate and rationalise the existing route network. The airline aims to attain meaningful growth through optimisation and participation in the "open skies" initiative on the African continent.
The new route is also part of the contribution by Air Namibia to the realisation of the SADC vision of contributing towards regional economic growth," Air Namibia said.
The sector between Johannesburg and Lusaka will be done in cooperation with Zambezi Airlines. Air Namibia will operate five flights per week with Zambezi Airlines as a marketing carrier or code partner while Air Namibia will code share on Zambezi Airlines on Tuesdays and Thursdays
Thursday, October 15, 2009
NAMIBIA: Photographer won Award of the Year
Picture copyright Hans RackA RENOWNED Namibian wildlife photographer Hans Rack has just scooped one of the most prestigious southern African wildlife awards by winning the Wildlife Photographer of The Year Award for 2009.
The competition is run by Fujifilm and Getaway magazine and is rated one of the top wildlife photographic competitions in Africa.
Hans is the first individual in Namibia to win this award.
His winning entry depicts a sub-adult lion and his siblings relaxed in front of a wide-angle camera lens, mounted on a remote-controlled camera inside a rock at a waterhole in Etosha.
Rack’s technique of close-up wildlife photography has won him many accolades in the past, including the Agfa Wildlife and Environmental Award in 2001 and 2003.
In 2006 he took first place in the Fujifilm Wildlife Environmental Awards and this year his overall winner award is accompanied by a first place in the Animals General Category and first runner-up in Animals Behavioural Category.
Hans will be exhibiting his wining images as well as a wide variety of wildlife photography using his special techniques, at Studio 77 from December 1 2009 to early January 2010.
Hans has previously exhibited at Studio 77 with an outstanding photographic documentation of Namibia’s wild desert horses.
Hans’s photography has the viewer in awe with his ability to get close to wildlife.
His techniques are a combination of skills that transverse the fields of engineering and digital photography, so that the camera’s vantage point is from a wide-angle perspective from close range.
Mounted inside a rock-like structure on a remote-controlled ‘moon rover’ transmitting signals to a video screen, Hans is able to guide the movements of his camera all over waterholes, getting as close to wildlife as he pleases.
Often Hans has to quickly manoeuvre the ‘moon rover’ out of the way of a lion’s paw or the heavy foot of an elephant.
With these tools and the magic of digital photography, Hans has developed this unique method to such a level that he drew compliments from renowned wildlife and National Geographic photographer Frans Lanting when he recently visited Namibia.
NAMIBIA: Wildlife worth Billions
NAMIBIA’S wildlife is worth an estimated N$10,5 billion, a scientific survey has revealed.
Presenting their findings on Tuesday at an event organised by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, experts Olimpio Nhuleipo and Peter Muteyauli said the wildlife figures they used in their calculations date back to 2004.
“We used the integrated environmental and economic accounting (IEEA) system of the UN,” said Nhuleipo, an environmental economist at the Ministry. “Wildlife stocks represent a significant national asset, comparable with assets like minerals, fish and forests. About two million larger animals live in Namibia and the direct economic benefit recently through photo tourism, trophy hunting, game meat and leather products among others came to N$700 million, representing about 2,1 per cent of the annual Gross National Product. “This compares well with the 4,6 per cent contribution of agriculture or 5 per cent of the fishing sector to GNP,” said Peter Muteyauli, who also works in the Ministry’s environmental economics unit.Most of the wild animals – about 88 per cent – live on private land such as commercial farms and private game reserves.
Nhuleipo and Muteyauli concluded that investing in wildlife and related tourism activities, and commercialising game meat would increase the economic contribution of this sector.The full report ‘Wildlife Accounts For Namibia 2004’ is available online at http://www.met.gov.na/.
BRIGITTE WEIDLICH
Presenting their findings on Tuesday at an event organised by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, experts Olimpio Nhuleipo and Peter Muteyauli said the wildlife figures they used in their calculations date back to 2004.
“We used the integrated environmental and economic accounting (IEEA) system of the UN,” said Nhuleipo, an environmental economist at the Ministry. “Wildlife stocks represent a significant national asset, comparable with assets like minerals, fish and forests. About two million larger animals live in Namibia and the direct economic benefit recently through photo tourism, trophy hunting, game meat and leather products among others came to N$700 million, representing about 2,1 per cent of the annual Gross National Product. “This compares well with the 4,6 per cent contribution of agriculture or 5 per cent of the fishing sector to GNP,” said Peter Muteyauli, who also works in the Ministry’s environmental economics unit.Most of the wild animals – about 88 per cent – live on private land such as commercial farms and private game reserves.
Nhuleipo and Muteyauli concluded that investing in wildlife and related tourism activities, and commercialising game meat would increase the economic contribution of this sector.The full report ‘Wildlife Accounts For Namibia 2004’ is available online at http://www.met.gov.na/.
BRIGITTE WEIDLICH
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