Hunting monitor lizards?

[iceman101]

I recently was hunting in SA for buffalo and hyena then went to Zambia for Tiger Fishing.

We were on the Zambezi River in a tented hut and there were large monitor lizards every evening. They were quick to take off in the brush if they spotted you in the tent or walking to the lodge.... but if I stayed still in the hut you would see them creeping through the grass. A few had to be approximately 7 ft long and 40 lbs.

I asked the lodge owner and he said those bloody things eat absolutely everything, that his dogs fight them over there dog food at times and that he has actually had smalled dogs die from them!

MY QUESTIONS:
is it a thing or is it even legal to bowhunt one of those big lizards...... if so, can anyone point me in the right direction on how to go about going on a hunt for one of these. i want to put a arrow in one of the big ones like i saw along the Zambezi.

 

[Nyati]

I believe they are classified under CITES II, so you would need a permit.

Here is a nice one I photographed in Natal

 

[Hunter-Habib]

Never shot one in Africa, but the bloody things are a very big nuisance in Asia. I’ve shot several over the years when they raid my family fish farm. A 12 gauge shotgun loaded with AAA is just the correct medicine for them.

 

[fourfive8]

I've had them creep around behind me when I was eating. They'll give you start because of their size, until you get used to them. I think they get habituated to people who are eating so they come around to see what scraps are available. I have a relative who was in the Air Force and stationed on Guam. One of his jobs was to keep the monitors off the runways. I guess they can become a problem to agriculture also and would be controlled for that purpose. I imagine they are hunted for food by some local populations. But as a game animal to hunt... uh?

 

[R.M.C.]

I had one living in the thatched roof when I was in South Africa. PH shot it with a .22 , he tried to find a cites listing for it but couldn't find it. Definitely a unique trophy, they get pretty big. I'll post a pic of the one I saw.

 

[R.M.C.]

 

[Nyati]

I had one living in the thatched roof when I was in South Africa. PH shot it with a .22 , he tried to find a cites listing for it but couldn't find it. Definitely a unique trophy, they get pretty big. I'll post a pic of the one I saw.

Look under Varanus

List of species protected by CITES Appendix II - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[R.M.C.]

Look under Varanus

List of species protected by CITES Appendix II - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Thank you sir, would've been cool to get the hide tanned or something.

 

[channelkat]

I think one of those would be cool to bring back! I have a bunch of weird things like that I would like to pick up. Also going to try to bring back some insects to put in a little shadow box.

 

[SETH RINGER]

HERE IS MY YOUNGER SON, NAMIBIA 2008. YOU DON'T SHOOT EM, YOU JUMB OFF THE BACK OF THE TRUCK AND GRAB EM!