Advice appreciated!!

Here is the full email -

If this product is for display purposes, is mounted and has undergone a full process of cleaning so it requires no further processing it will be considered a finished product and as such there would be no Animal Health requirements.



If it is not a finished product it will have to comply with the import requirements for bones and bone products that can be found in Importer Information Note (IIN) ABP IIN 16, which can be viewed via the following web link:

Bones, horns, hooves and their products not for feed or fertilisers « Imports/exports ? animals and animal products



You can view Commision Decision 142/2011 through the following link;

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2011:054:0001:0254:EN:PDF

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CONSLEG:2011R0142:20110819:EN:PDF



If it is not a finished product and has to ocmply with thebone product conditions, as it is a product being imported from a Third Country it would be necessary for it to enter the UK through a Border Inspection Post (BIP). For a list of BIPs and their capabilities please follow the link below;

http://www.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/animaltrade/imports/bips/index.htm



You must give 24 hours prior notification by a Common Veterinary Entry Document (CVED) which can be obtained from your local Animal Health Office (AHO) or BIP. Part 1 must be completed and returned to the BIP of entry into the EU. Contact details for the Port Health authorities can be found through the link below;

http://www.porthealth.co.uk/port_directory.php



We would also advise you to contact CITES and Customs for any requirements they may have and their contact details can be found via the following web links:

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalhealth/about/contact-us/wildlife.html

HM Revenue & Customs: Home Page



Please read all the information carefully and ensure that your import can fully satisfy all the appropriate conditions and requirements.



To stay up to date with changes in legislation and import conditions you can be added to the Customer Information Notes (CIN) mailing lists. To do this please complete the request for information proformas in the following CIN and return it to the stated address.

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animal-trade/files/CIN-proforma.docx



Regards

Cormac Crisp

AO

Communications Team

Specialist Service Centre for Imports



Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency

Redwing House (Ground Floor)

Hedgerows Business Park

Colchester Road

Springfield

Chelmsford

Essex

CM2 5PB



T: 01245 398298

F: 01245 398299

In true government fashion, the first link I attempted to use is dead.

Obviously, if you are confident in your interpretation of the rules you are free to make your decision.

I have never personally tried to import anything into the UK. Steve has obviously done so and is suggesting extreme caution.

I have crossed enough borders to know it will depend on the individual officers encountered on the day of your return.

The devil is in the details. Good luck.

Just another couple of problems you'll face is if they reject the trophies because they've only been boiled and cleaned rather than treated with insecticide of the correct type for the correct time (and with proper certificate to prove it) as a taxidermist will do (and they have every right to do that) you'll have to either turn around and fly back to Africa with them and of course RSA inspectors may well take exception to allowing them back in or having them incinerated and also the vet inspectors are based in the cargo terminal and you'll be coming into the passenger terminal and the inspectors won't be willing to come to you and you won't be allowed to go to them.

FWIW, I've been in the African hunting safari business for over 30 years and we've shipped trophies from seven or eight African countries to all kinds of countries and I certainly wouldn't ever consider doing what you propose. But hey, they're your trophies and you're free to make your own decisions and take or reject the advice you asked for.

I could read the link, and among other things, it says that the products should be

-Accompanied by health documents.

-Must come from approved plant.

Obviously, they are not referring to hunting trophies !

I m afraid you ll have to do like the rest of us, dip and pack or taxidermist, and shipper.

the other thing is the time scale. if you are hunting for 7/10 days and flying back after the hunt, then unless you shot the animals that you want to bring back on the 1st day and the taxidermist was on the premises, and started the process immediately while ignoring other items that people have probably been waiting months for, and the paperwork,veterinary dept etc,etc were sorted and on standby.....i still dont see it?

Thanks for all your input guys! I think i will have to have it sent over then and see if i can share a crate with someone to cut the costs!

Cheers all for the help!

Tom

Tom,

I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings but you can't share a crate either I'm afraid...... the reason being is if one party sneaks something dodgy into a crate, they want to be able to get the culprit bang to rights for it and if there are two names on the crate then they can't do that......... Unfortunately African hunting and taxidermy are expensive and you just have to accept the costs etc for what they are.

If you were coming to Canada you CAN share a crate. No issues for us. So, it can occur in some countries.

The UK & IIRC the US both forbid combined consignments and I guess with the current situation on rhino horn etc that isn't unreasonable.

Either way, the rules ain't gonna change. LOL!

About the best you can do is hunt with another person and put the animals, all on one license and sort the costs between hunters.

Steve is 100 percent correct, taxidermy and shipping are not cheap and you should not cut corners. It leads to huge problems!!!

Ok so as i am going to have to do shipping i might take a look at getting the springbok shoulder mounted. I know there are a lot of variables, but what would be a "rough" total cost for say taxidermy work for a shoulder mounted springbok, skull mounted impala and a couple of skins and to then have them shipped to the UK.

What would i be looking as a total cost for everything from taxidermy to shipping?

Cheers

You'd be better off asking individual taxidermists for their own cost estimations but my advice on that would be to choose the best taxidermist you can find rather than the cheapest....... you'll have to look at those trophies for decades and if they're wrong, it'll annoy you every time you look at them.

IMO, one of the very best taxidermists is Lifeform Taxidermy in White River and you'll find their site at Life-Form Taxidermy || Realism, Beauty & Permanence.

The way to tell good from bad is to look closely at their cats..... especially their leopards. Cats are the easiest to get wrong and the hardest to get right so if they can do the cats well, then your trophies will definitely be in very good hands.

Splitting Image taxidermy isn't too bad, I have used them.

Bullseye Taxidermy in Vaalwater, SA. Fantastic work, fast/great service and great people.

Another vote for Bullseye Taxidermy I had my last hunt mounted there and was totally surprised at how well it was done and how fast it came back It was on my wall 5 months after the hunt. I'm looking at them now, nyala, blesbuck, reedbuck and wart piggy!

Sounds like you are hunting in the Eastern Cape where I just got back from hunting a month ago. You will love the area! As far as taxidermy questions take a look at Hunters & Collectors Taxidermy in Port Elizabeth. Kevin and his team are mounting all of my trophies. They have good prices and have done a lot of work for a friend of mine. He is in the process of mounting 10 shoulder mounts for me as well as a couple of zebra skins and some back skins.

Don't believe anything animal health tell you
They will twist it when customs seize your trophies
I lost 1full bobcat mount and 2 skins