Importing My Leopard Trophy From Namibia to the U.S.

[Doug3006]

I thought those interested in hunting leopard in Namibia might like to understand the trophy import process, cycle time and cost. I hunted Leopard and plains game this past April with Immenhof Safaris located near the town of Omaruru. If you are interested in reading about that hunt, here’s the link.

Thread 'NAMIBIA: Leopard Hunt In Namibia'

Apr 15, 2025

My friends, tomorrow I leave for Africa once again! I’ll be hunting leopard with Immenhof Safaris in Namibia. In the Erongo Region northwest of Omaruru. As always, my partner in crime will be @Jeff505. His mission is to help shoot bait!

We’re flying on Lufthansa. We depart from St. Louis tomorrow afternoon, and land early the next morning in Frankfurt, Germany. Then after a brief 14 hour layover, we’ll fly directly to Windhoek, Namibia. Shawn at Gracy Travel has made all of the arrangements.

I have high hopes for this route. Lufthansa began flying direct from St. Louis to...

• Doug3006
• Replies: 110
• Forum: Hunting reports Africa

• 
• 

Kai Eichler, the owner of Namibia Safari Services and Supplies, picked up my leopard on April 23 while I was still in camp. They are a taxidermist and shipping firm. Kanati Taxidermy in Pennsylvania will do a full body mount, so I just needed Kai to handle the logistics.

As always, I used Coppersmith as my importer.

I struggled deciding whether to apply for the CITES permit myself or engage an expert. I decided to have Jerad Dabney at Adventure Permits International handle it for me. I provided him a copy of the Namibia Hunting Permit and he handled the import permit application. He did a great job. This is purely optional. You might be more willing to do it yourself than I am.

Timeline:

Trophy picked up by Namibia Safari Services: April 23, 2025
CITES Import Permit applied for by Adventure Permits: June 9, 2025
Draft export permit issued by Namibia Wildlife Authority: July 9, 2025
CITES Import Permit issued by USF&W: August 25, 2025
Final Namibia export permit issued: September 29,2025
Trophy shipped WDH to JFK via Ethiopian Air: October 3, 2025
Trophy arrived JFK: October 6, 2025
Trophy import approved by USF&W and USDA: October 22, 2025
Trophy shipped to Kanati Taxidermy: October 23, 2025

Costs:

CITES Permit assistance from Adventure Permits: $950
Namibia Safari Services dip/pack and processing: $540
Shipping via Turkish Airways - Namibia to JFK: $755
Coppersmith processing and storage: $1,508
Shipping from JFK to Kanati: $584
Total for logistics: $4,337

The import process hasn’t been a bad experience. All of my partners…namely, Namibia Safari Services, Adventure Permits International and Coppersmith….did a fine job. It just takes a lot more time than it should. The cost is the cost. Hard to put a dollar value on a lifetime dream!

 

[Hunt anything]

Congratulations, it’s always a huge relief when your trophies hit the ground in the US and your taxidermist. Especially on a trophy of a lifetime like a leopard!
How did the Coppersmiths charges break down?

 

[Doug3006]

Here’s the break down:

 

[Doug3006]

And I just noticed the I misstated the shipping…got it transposed with the storage. Shipping from JFK to Kanati is $350.

 

[DAK]

Thanks for posting this Doug! Took a cat in Namibia in May and I’m using SSI to do the import permit. Your post has me optimistically thinking that I might hear back soon!

 

[Doug3006]

Thanks for posting this Doug! Took a cat in Namibia in May and I’m using SSI to do the import permit. Your post has me optimistically thinking that I might hear back soon!

Happy to help spread some hope! My contact at Coppersmith says that the shutdown has slowed things down, but approvals are still being issued.

Where are you in the process? CITES applied for…issued?

 

[Doug3006]

Thanks for posting this Doug! Took a cat in Namibia in May and I’m using SSI to do the import permit. Your post has me optimistically thinking that I might hear back soon!

Happy to help spread some hope! My contact at Coppersmith says that the shutdown has slowed things down, but approvals are still being issued.

Where are you in the process? CITES applied for…issued

 

[Ryan Brown]

Thank you for sharing. Were theses costs just for the leopard or were your other trophies included in these costs?

 

[3chunter]

My 8 animals cost about that when they got shipped last year. Man those fees and stuff add up for sure. I probably won’t be going back for a while. I like to keep what I take and shipping and taxidermy end up costing more than the trip itself at this point.

 

[DAK]

Happy to help spread some hope! My contact at Coppersmith says that the shutdown has slowed things down, but approvals are still being issued.

Where are you in the process? CITES applied for…issued

Wyatt submitted my USFW app on May 12th and it’s still pending.

 

[coreydb]

I agree. The back end costs are darn near just as much. I'm getting ready to pick up my trophies from Coppersmith in Atlanta myself just to save money. It cost me over $2k to ship seven plains animals and I don't know hot much Coppersmith will charge me just to receive, clear and hold my crate till I get there this Tuesday.

 

[Doug3006]

Thank you for sharing. Were theses costs just for the leopard or were your other trophies included in these costs?

This was just for the leopard. I have 4 more trophies being mounted for me by Namibia Safari Services.

 

[Rosch]

This hunting trip is a lifetime experience for sure, and I mean the costs, when You add all together! A lot of money to be on the legal side!
I hope for You, that all Your trophies arrive well and save at Your place, to look at and celebrate for a while the dream You‘ve lived once!

Knowing all this I go today just for non trophy hunts, and leave the bones and skins back there.
From the bones they make a soup, and the skins are going to be veld skoene.
Nothing is left, nothing is wasted!
And I save my money from those daylight robbers for my next trip!

 

[deewayne2003]

I thought those interested in hunting leopard in Namibia might like to understand the trophy import process, cycle time and cost. I hunted Leopard and plains game this past April with Immenhof Safaris located near the town of Omaruru. If you are interested in reading about that hunt, here’s the link.

Thread 'NAMIBIA: Leopard Hunt In Namibia'

Apr 15, 2025

My friends, tomorrow I leave for Africa once again! I’ll be hunting leopard with Immenhof Safaris in Namibia. In the Erongo Region northwest of Omaruru. As always, my partner in crime will be @Jeff505. His mission is to help shoot bait!

We’re flying on Lufthansa. We depart from St. Louis tomorrow afternoon, and land early the next morning in Frankfurt, Germany. Then after a brief 14 hour layover, we’ll fly directly to Windhoek, Namibia. Shawn at Gracy Travel has made all of the arrangements.

I have high hopes for this route. Lufthansa began flying direct from St. Louis to...

• Doug3006
• Replies: 110
• Forum: Hunting reports Africa

• 
• 

Kai Eichler, the owner of Namibia Safari Services and Supplies, picked up my leopard on April 23 while I was still in camp. They are a taxidermist and shipping firm. Kanati Taxidermy in Pennsylvania will do a full body mount, so I just needed Kai to handle the logistics.

As always, I used Coppersmith as my importer.

I struggled deciding whether to apply for the CITES permit myself or engage an expert. I decided to have Jerad Dabney at Adventure Permits International handle it for me. I provided him a copy of the Namibia Hunting Permit and he handled the import permit application. He did a great job. This is purely optional. You might be more willing to do it yourself than I am.

Timeline:

Trophy picked up by Namibia Safari Services: April 23, 2025
CITES Import Permit applied for by Adventure Permits: June 9, 2025
Draft export permit issued by Namibia Wildlife Authority: July 9, 2025
CITES Import Permit issued by USF&W: August 25, 2025
Final Namibia export permit issued: September 29,2025
Trophy shipped WDH to JFK via Ethiopian Air: October 3, 2025
Trophy arrived JFK: October 6, 2025
Trophy import approved by USF&W and USDA: October 22, 2025
Trophy shipped to Kanati Taxidermy: October 23, 2025

Costs:

CITES Permit assistance from Adventure Permits: $950
Namibia Safari Services dip/pack and processing: $540
Shipping via Turkish Airways - Namibia to JFK: $755
Coppersmith processing and storage: $1,508
Shipping from JFK to Kanati: $584
Total for logistics: $4,337

The import process hasn’t been a bad experience. All of my partners…namely, Namibia Safari Services, Adventure Permits International and Coppersmith….did a fine job. It just takes a lot more time than it should. The cost is the cost. Hard to put a dollar value on a lifetime dream!

Thank you for posting this detailed information, I didn't ship back any trophies from Zim in 2024(first hunt) because I'd rather put the money towards the next hunt.

Now having said that, the holy grail of taxidermy as far as I'm concerned is a good looking leopard mount and with the information you posted I've been able to figure that all in shipping + USA taxidermy is going to run me $10K+/- when the time comes.

 

[Doug3006]

Here’s the mount I’ve chosen.

 

[slam8031]

I was very pleased with Kanati and their work on my leopard. Your fees were really similar to mine from 2021. Maybe 10-12 % higher. (Mental math)…

 

[DAK]

Doug that mount is my one of my favorites from their catalogue! Great choice! I’ll be having them do my cat as well.