In memoriam - Professional Hunter Don Heath passes away

[juan pablo pozzi]

Famous Zimbabwean Professional Hunter Don Heath (1967 - 2015) passed away suddenly over the weekend in Sweden. My sincere condolences to his family and loved ones.



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About Don Heath
Don joined the Zimbabwe National Parks Department on leaving school, eventually rising to the post of Senior Ecologist responsible for safari hunting and guota setting. Of course, being the government officer on the ground meant that rogue elephants and man eating lions were also his responsibility. Don planned and organized the last big elephant culls (1993) and participated in the buffalo eradication culls, organized by the veterinary department. He has personally dissected more than 2000 elephants within the framework of a bullet testing project. His doctorate focused on the sustainable hunting of four key species by Zimbabwe’s hunting industry - elephant, buffalo, sable and impala. He started examining prospective professional hunters in 1996. Since retiring from National Parks in 1998 Don has worked as a freelance professional hunter and a full-time writer, as well as taking over the position of Chief Examiner for the Zimbabwe Professional Hunters and Guides Association.

 

[juan pablo pozzi]

Don was my great friend and mentor we shared the passion for competitive shooting, big game and unconventional military operations. We hunted together and sent many hunters to my farm in Argentina pampas .We miss you bro.

 

[cajunchefray]

A favorite picture of Don Heath (Ganyana) shooting an elephant with a 9.3x62 Mauser. A man of a different time. 44 magnum revolver in a hip holster. The man was ready for anything in the bush, especially after so many years in the Rhodesian Bush wars, then training Zimbabwean PH's.

Courtesy of Pierre van der Walt " African Dangerous Game Cartridges", published 2012, by Pathfinder Adventure Books, South Africa

 

[JES Adventures]

My condolences to the family, may he rest in peace. Another one of the old guard gone.

 

[juan pablo pozzi]

Amazing amount of knowledge and experience.

Sad loss.

Dr Don Heath D.Sc.
Manager Technical Support
Norma Precision AB

On the losing side in 5 wars.

I was Born in Rhodesia and managed to miss most of the bush war except for being blown up in a landmine and getting a chunk from an RPG 7 stuck through my skull into my brain. The 'Dissident' war that opened up 9 months After Mugabe came to power in Zimbabwe (December 1980) was my first 'real war'. There were no winners, only a debate over who lost the most. I was shot at by the North Korean troops propping up the Mugabe regime, and the South African backed 'dissidents' as well as sundry bandits taking advantage of the general lawlessness to make a quick profit. I was mainly working on a Rabies outbreak at the time and this involved working in isolated rural areas usually with only a single companion. Being white, and driving a Government marked vehicle I was fair game for all. The atrocities committed by the Korean led Government troops were beyond belief and they made several determined efforts to kill me so I couldn't take pictures or report to the media what was going on. It was a hard survival school. I also took the opportunity to transfer from the local police reserve into Police forensics. My basic biology degree being deemed what was necessary. I gradually moved more into the forensic ballistics section.

In 1987 peace finally returned and I got on with my Masters degree, but the Rhino war started up the following year. Being a research officer, the actual fighting wasn't supposed to be my job, but when you are losing, any officer who will help is welcome. It was a wasted effort. The poaching was controlled by 8 men, one of whom was the vice president of Zimbabwe and another the Director of the National Parks dept. The Chief Investigations officer for the Dept later proved to be a South African intelligence officer who was fully involved in protecting the poaching operations in the South East of the country. In hind sight it was a war we had lost before we started. I picked up a bullet through the right shoulder, another through the right leg and a couple of bad Phosphorous burns. The price one pays for trying to lead demoralised and pathetically trained troops in any sort of action.

In 1993 I took a 3 month break to go to Somalia with the UN peacekeepers as a forensics' specialist. There was no peace to keep, and that war still drags on.

With the economic collapse in Zimbabwe in 1999 my position as Senior Ecologist at head office was untenable. They simply couldn't have a white man in such a position and after several months of fairly intense harassment I left and went hunting. I took a short break in 2004 to go as a forensic specialist to the middle east...another war without end.

The rapid decline in game populations in Zimbabwe, the influx of illegal operators and the break-down of so much of the infrastructure, as well as getting married and suddenly having a family to think about caused me to accept a post with Norma Precision in Sweden as R&D manager - my first job where you don't need someone or something dead to call it a successful day.

My good friend Ganyana

 

[juan pablo pozzi]

A favorite picture of Don Heath (Ganyana) shooting an elephant with a 9.3x62 Mauser. A man of a different time. 44 magnum revolver in a hip holster. The man was ready for anything in the bush, especially after so many years in the Rhodesian Bush wars, then training Zimbabwean PH's.View attachment 627116
View attachment 627116
Courtesy of Pierre van der Walt " African Dangerous Game Cartridges", published 2012, by Pathfinder Adventure Books, South Africa

I used his Mauser Dumolin 9,3x62 in his hip is a 41 magnum SW

 

[juan pablo pozzi]

Don Heath ,Ganyana ,was like a bro ,he was my mentor in the professional hunting community ,he sent my first clients ,and was instrumental in my succes .We share many adventures together ,and althoug far aways we chat everyday abot guns ,hunting ,soldiering ,wars ,my dogs etc .He was an outstanding person in all the senses .My condolences for Sheila and the girls .

Sad to re read this many memories came out

 

[Red Leg]

Very, very few of those great men left.

 

[tarbe]

Hard to believe it has been 10 years.