A shy, solitary and powerfully built cat with a beautifully spotted coat. Opportunistic hunters, leopards take anything from frogs and mice to antelope, which lets them inhabit a wide variety of terrains. They are well known for their ability to climb trees with prey locked in their jaws, and have excellent eyesight and hearing. Although well camouflaged and mainly nocturnal, their shy nature means they are rarely seen by humans.
Hunting leopard is an age-old tradition; various methods have been used over the decades — baiting, hunting with hounds, blinds, calling devices and pure chance. Namibia is fortunate to have a significant CITES quota of 250 leopard per year for trophy hunting purposes, and only males may be hunted.
In recent years the Namibian Ministry of Environment and Tourism amended its policies — leopard may no longer be hunted with hounds, and a tag system now allows an operator to apply for a maximum of two tags per year, subject to strict requirements. To remain efficient under the time pressure on hunting clients, research on leopard led us to fine-tune our baiting, which is now conducted throughout the year — pre-baiting — as a fundamental aspect of our ethics and applied conservation.
Due to their secretive nature, a successful leopard hunt will require baiting on a 14- or 21-day safari. The bait, in the form of fresh meat, is placed in a tree while the hunter lies in wait in a blind less than 100 metres away. This is usually done at dusk and, if a leopard comes, it will be just before total darkness sets in.
It might well be that the first time you see the leopard is when he is at the bait — although other smaller animals will notify you of his imminent arrival. Few other hunts will give you such excitement; your heart rate will instantly sky-rocket.
With a leopard trophy, judgement is usually not that important, although you do want to hunt a mature male. Males are larger-bodied, have thicker necks and have heads larger in relation to their body than females — though it is difficult to distinguish young males from mature females. Hunting leopard requires careful planning, skill and definitely bravery. After all, you are pitting yourself against the perfect predator, and you need to outwit him.
Quality optics with strong light-gathering capabilities are paramount. It will require great skill to aim and fire without making even the slightest unnatural sound, as this would alert the leopard. Any medium-calibre rifle (.300, .308, .270 etc.) will suffice, and quick-expanding ammunition that delivers sufficient hydrostatic shock is highly recommended. Good shot placements are the vitals behind the shoulder, or the spine.
Going after a wounded leopard is an experience many would rather not make, as wounded leopards are usually hell-bent on revenge. A leopard holds the advantage of surprise because of its superb camouflage — you might literally be about to step on it before it charges.
With their bold black and white stripes covering all of their body, apart from their bellies, Hartmann's Zebra are magnificent animals. The function of the stripes is somewhat of a mystery — theories suggest they provide camouflage, dazzle predators, keep flies away, allow zebra to identify one another, and even help cool their bodies.
The western mountains of Namibia — of which Farm Heusis forms part — are an ideal habitat for the Hartmann Mountain Zebra, and one of the few places where naturally occurring, free-ranging Hartmann's Zebra can be hunted. If you dream of hunting one of these beautiful animals, you need to come to the Khomas Highlands.
The Hartmann's Zebra is one of two subspecies of Mountain Zebra, the other being the Cape Mountain Zebra, which is limited to the eastern and southern parts of South Africa. The Hartmann's inhabits the arid western parts of Namibia. There is also a separate species altogether — the Plain's Zebra — whose stripes go right around the belly, fade towards the hooves, and bear additional lighter "shadow stripes".
Hartmann's Zebras are grazers that need to drink daily, so they are never far from water and are even known to dig deep holes in search of it. They are most active during early mornings and late afternoons, seeking shade during the most extreme heat of the day. Zebras have sharp eyesight and a keen sense of hearing.
The best chances of finding Hartmann's Zebra are along the approaches to watering points, as well as at pans at dawn and dusk. Zebras are tough animals, so .300 calibre and larger rifles are recommended, with good expanding soft-point bullets vital to a successful hunt. Considering the terrain Hartmann's Zebra inhabit, tracking a wounded one is very exhausting.
Shot placement is important with all game, and zebra are no exception. A good hit would be straight up the front leg, one third to halfway up into the body, striking the heart and lungs. Shots higher than that are less lethal and should be avoided. A spinal or neck shot will also take down a zebra, aiming to the front and above the shoulder blade; a zebra facing you is best taken by aiming for the midpoint between the shoulders, at the base of the neck. The best trophy hide comes from a younger male or mare — old stallions are often scarred from fighting, making their hide less attractive.