Well, the good news is, Tanzania operators Pratik Patel and partner Fedirico Gellini of Savannah Game Trackers, tell us their hunting concessions in southern Tanzania are benefiting from the good work being done inside the Niassa Game Reserve. Of course, they also cite their own anti-poaching efforts in the resurgence of game that is occurring in their concessions. Recently, they have taken jumbo from 55 to 74 pounds, and they have seen a jump in the trophy quality of lion and leopard.
Patel says when he first took control of these southern Tanzania areas, he immediately implemented anti-poaching and community development programs and practically shut down the hunting. As one of Tanzania's largest photo safari operators, he says he easily routed photographic tours to the areas to keep them economically viable until the game recovered. He began hunting them again only a couple of years ago and reports excellent results. He took six elephant clients in 2005 and eight last year, and says they all took jumbo over 55 pounds, including a group of five hunters who took their elephant in only 2½ weeks of hunting.
In addition to elephant, Patel says they have taken six Roosevelt sable in the 43-inch range and numerous 7½ to eight-foot leopards. For 2007, he is hoping to take two elephant in his Liparamba concession in the very southwest corner of Tanzania, where he claims a 100-pounder was taken in 2004. The other concessions he is hunting in southern Tanzania are Kilwa in the far southeast, Muhuwesi and Tun- duru in the southcentral area, and LU2 and 1H1 in the western edge of the Selous Game Reserve. Patel's US representative is Richard Jarrett in Texas. If you hunt with him, be sure you file a report.
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