In the Caprivi, Traut has acquired the Kasika, Impalila and Camp Kwandu areas. The concessions are close together, so he says he has the flexibility to switch from one to the other to accommodate conditions and game movements. The species of interest include elephant, buffalo, crocodile, hippo, sitatunga, red lechwe and a number of other animals. The elephant are typical Zambezi Valley bulls ranging mostly from 45 to 55 pounds, although a 65- and 55-pounder were recently taken there. Hunting early in the season involves taking a boat from island to island in the Kwandu River. By July or August the water drops, and Traut can drive in to cover more area. Traut has a quota of seven trophy elephant and six management bulls, which are old animals or animals with broken tusks. Camps in his Caprivi areas are typical tented camps that he says are nice enough for families to enjoy.
For plains game and lion, Traut is working in the Kalahari with Kalahari Game Lodge, which he says used to be strictly a sightseeing tourist destination. The lodge has 30,000 hectares of pristine wilderness and offers gemsbok, eland, springbok and one or two lion permits per season. Traut can also get access to permits for problem lions when they suddenly become available. Problem lions, of course, are animals that either are endangering the lives of people or are constantly feeding on livestock. Such situations must be investigated by the Ministry of........(continued)
