What The Namibia Leopard Permit Moratorium Means This Hunting Season

In Namibia, leopard hunters should know there is a moratorium on trophy hunting permits for leopard. According to the Namibia Professional Hunting Association, the Ministry of Environment and Tourism has issued the entire CITES export quota for leopard for 2009. That means any operator who has not already secured a leopard permit for clients this year will not be able to conduct a legal leopard hunt. Permits are issued in the hunter's name for specific dates. They are not transferable and must be in hand when the leopard is taken. You cannot take a leopard this season and get a permit issued for 2010. I'm told the Namibian government is keen to crack down on any operator caught doing this. If you are booked for a leopard hunt in Namibia this season, contact your operator and ask him to send you a copy of your leopard permit by fax or e-mail. US citizens should also note that when filling out their import permit application with the US Fish & Wildlife Service, you must provide the name of the operator that appears on your Namibian export permit. That would be the operator who actually secures the permit and not an independent PH you may have booked. Make sure you provide the correct name on your paperwork or your shipment could be seized upon import to the US.

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