South Africa Limpopo Province Leopard CITES tags

South Africa Limpopo Province Leopard CITES tags

South Africa’s Limpopo Province will introduce a new system of allocating Leopard CITES tags in 2010.

Only Limpopo based hunting outfitters will be allowed to apply for the allocated leopard permits with an application deadline set at 23rd November 2009. Successful operators will be notified in writing on or before the 15th of December 2009 and outfitters must provide the department with the clients name, proof of contract, copy of passport, proof of TOPS application in the name of the client and permit payment as well as dates of the safari before 14th April 2010. Failure on any of these points will forfeit the right to hunt leopard. Unsuccessful hunts must be reported within 24 hours after the hunt is finished and the permit will be cancelled.

Starting to sound like someone / organization is working hard behind the scenes to get the powers that be to shut Leopard hunting in Africa. I know that they have been making it more difficult in South Africa for several years now and now Namibia, whose NEXT?

I'll tell you what a veteran of many safari's told me....There are over 2 million leopard in Africa and they aren't going away soon, there is a lot of sound management going on, and as long as hunters spend money to hunt them and there are CITES permits they will be hunted. I still would like to get my leopard as soon as possible, just because of society....meaning the non-hunting public not understanding wildlife management, and the fact they have the numbers to out vote hunters.

...From the articles I've read Leopard management is one of the soundest in all of Africa. The Big 5 will someday be called the [Use to be 5]. If the Tree huggers & non hunters keep at it all of Hunting will go by the Wayside!! With the way several of yhese governments are closing Leopard seasons early tells me they care & willtry to keep hunting going for them. After all it's Big money for them!!