Trophies Page

 
This is where it begins, or ends, depending on your perspective.
The boiling pot, and quite a handsome one it is...
wood stacked up just waiting for your trophy.

African skinners are excellent at what they do and make few mistakes when skinning/caping your trophies.  Because refrigeration is usually not available, the challenge is to get the game skinned as quickly as possible to avoid hair-slip.  Zebras are especially sensitive if not skinned immediately and fleshed out to remove the layer of yellow fat that makes them so tasty to leopard.  Salt is also extremely important.  Tragically, some outfitters are using the cheaper Botswanan pan salt which is laced with impurities that seem to affect the tanning processes adversely destroying capes. You want to make sure that your outfitter is using Namibian sea salt.  It is more expensive but definitely worth it.

IT IS ALSO VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE YOUR TROPHIES ARE TAGGED IMMEDIATELY. I HAVE ALWAYS USED PLASTICIZED BUSINESS CARDS W/ MY TAXIDERMIST'S ADDRESS ON ONE SIDE AND THE TANNERY’S ADDRESS ON THE OTHER W/ A “SHIP-TO” NOTICE. THESE TAGS ARE THEN AFFIXED TO EACH TROPHY VIA A TIE-WRAP ( CAPES AND HORNS, ETC).

Once the skulls are boiled and capes salted and dried they are transproted to the dipper-packer. This is where the skins and skulls are treated and crated for shipment before going to the freight-forwarder. Cost of Dip and Pack in Tanzania varies but figure on $1000USD for a 7 to 10 day safari to $1600USD for a 16 to 21 day safari. This D&P price applies to safaris w/ 1 or 50 animals…it makes no difference. It’s one price.

Once your shipment clears US Customs and US Fish and Wildlife in the US, a “broker” usually takes possession of the shipment and sees that the crate gets to the final export destination being either, you, your tannery, or your taxidermist.

IMPORTANT:  CITES (Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora).

If you are hunting Leopard and/or Elephant in Tanzania you will be required to have in your possession a CITES permit for these Category 1 trophies. Permits are issued by the country of final export destination.  Your taxidermist, wildlife department and/or environmental or agricultural agency should be contacted for assistance.

For more information, see:
http://www.cites.org
and / or
http://www.unep-wcmc.org/index.html?http://www.unep-wcmc.org/CITES/redirect.htm~main

APH is not responsible for obtaining these permits.