Hippo Hunt in Zimbabwe

 

Hunting Period

February - May; September - November

 

Event Duration

9 days / 6 hunting days

 

Destination

Zimbabwe - Gwayi area (near Hwange National Park)

 

Hunting Options

Cape buffalo, elephant, crocodile, leopard, lion, various antelope species, warthog, and others

 

Transportation

Flight to Victoria Falls (with one stopover in Ethiopia), then transfer by car from the airport to the camp

 

Weapons

Option to rent weapons

 

Accommodation

Hunting camp in the center of the hunting area

 

Food

Full-day meals prepared by a private chef

 

Included in the Price

- State escort fees (elephant, leopard, and lion)

- Participation of a HEMING team member during the hunt (assistance, interpretation, and organizational services)

- CITES permit

- Baiting & scouting for leopard and lion hunts

- Organization of hippo hunt during 6 hunting days

- Accommodation in the camp for 8 nights with full-day meals including a wide range of non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages in reasonable amounts

- Transport from the airport to the camp and back

- Daily laundry, ironing, and room cleaning

- Services of trackers and drivers of off-road vehicles

- Services of professional hunters and guides

- Travel agency insolvency insurance

- Weapon rental

- Basic trophy processing on-site and export permit

 

Not Included in the Price

- Costs related to weapon transport

- Tips for trackers and service staff

- Comprehensive travel insurance and trip cancellation insurance (can be arranged upon request)

- Costs for transporting trophies to the place of residence (dipping & packing, transport, customs, tax)

- Anything not included in the tour price

 

Hunting Information

All hunts, except for hippo and crocodile hunts, take place in unit 6, i.e., MATETSI, one of the best areas in Zimbabwe. Hippo and crocodile hunts are organized near the Binga settlement on the shores of Lake Kariba. The hunt is conducted from a camp located on the lake. In the morning, you board a boat and start searching for hippos and crocodiles along the lake's shore. This is a well-managed area where we know from experience where to find the game. The game population is high. When we spot a trophy male, you can either try to shoot from the boat (usually as a last resort) or get to the shore and walk a few hundred meters to get into a shooting position. Since hippos need to breathe above water, they can be hunted all day. The same goes for crocodiles, which need to bask in the sun, so during the day, we will hunt close to the sandy beaches. The biggest challenge is retrieving the hippo after it is shot, as it will dive and surfacing the body can take several hours.

 

Hunting in beautiful ZIMBABWE cannot be compared to hunting on farms in South Africa or Namibia. The atmosphere of the wild, where you have the opportunity to observe elephants, lions, but especially large herds of Cape buffalo, gives the hunt the feel of a true African safari.

 

Travel Details

The best way to travel to the country is by flying to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe with Ethiopian Airlines with a stopover in Addis Ababa. Upon arrival in Victoria Falls, hunters will be picked up by car and transferred to the hunting camp in Gwayi. The journey takes approximately 2.5 hours. To travel to the country, you need to have a valid passport for at least 6 months after return. There is a visa requirement for foreigners, which is obtained directly at the airport in Victoria Falls.

 

Accommodation

The camp is built in the heart of the hunting area, so there are no long transfers. It is built in a hunting style with a strong hunting spirit. Electricity, hot water, and cleanliness in each room are guaranteed. Daily laundry and ironing are provided by local staff. The camp includes a large common room where hunters eat and spend time together. Most of the common time, however, is spent by the outdoor fireplace, which evokes the true African atmosphere during the evenings, where hunters exchange hunting experiences from the past days. The food is prepared by a private chef and is excellent and varied. Hunters have the opportunity to taste various local specialties made mostly from game, as well as many common European dishes such as schnitzels, roasted chickens, and pasta.

 

Weather

During the hunting season, the weather is usually favorable, and we rarely witness rain. In March and April, the weather is the most pleasant – during the day, temperatures range around 30-35°C, and early in the morning, it is cooler. At the end of April and in May, the days are cooler (25-30°C), and the mornings are cold, with temperatures reaching 3-5°C. Therefore, it is important to have both winter and summer clothing for the hunt.

 

Equipment

- Hunting clothing with long and short sleeves

- Hunting pants long and short

- High leather boots (not new)

- Belt

- Windproof jacket for morning and evening hunts

- Clothes for the evening in the camp

- Sunglasses

- Sunscreen and lip balm

- Nasal spray/humidifier

- Small backpack or bag

- Flashlight (2x)

- Basic medicines (antibiotics, corticosteroids, painkillers, allergy medication, insect bite relief, anti-diarrhea medication, etc.)