Dougba says he has received a concession in the Belle FasamaGola Rainforest in Gbarpolu County, western Liberia. He is offering some "exploratory hunts," and they are quite cheap: $4,850 for a 10-day duiker hunt, and $9,500 for a 20-day bongo and forest buffalo package. That includes permits and hunting licenses and two nights hotel in Monrovia. Trophy fees for animals killed or wounded are extra. See his website for prices.
Dougba was involved in a safari operation in Liberia back in 2001 but shut down due to the continuing civil war. He first became involved in the safari business when Tom Banks reopened safari hunting in Liberia back in 1999. Longtime Hunting Report subscribers will remember that Banks ran into money problems and his safari operation imploded. (You can get a complete history on this in our online database by searching "Liberia.") Dougba says that history is behind him and that he assures the hunting community that a new day has dawned for Liberian hunting. Like Kobrine, Dougba says it took him three years to get a permit from the Liberian government, and he is now ready to host hunters on an exploratory basis. "Our price is low, but our goals right now are not profit but to open Liberia's rainforest to sport hunters from around the globe," he says.
Dougba went on to describe his operation in an email he sent me as he was leaving to set up camp in Liberia: "The Gola is a thick rainforest covering two countries, Liberia and Sierra Leone. The forest is home to elephant, bongo........(continued)
