Zimbabwe slides even further....

We received an alert from The Hunting Report which says that the US State Department is likely to issue an official travel warning for US citizens traveling to Zimbabwe. The warning will likely come this week.

Although it seems that in the past the Zimbabwe government has given special treatment to the safari industry due to the importance of the revenue it produces, it looks like they are beginning to place a lot of pressure on hunting safari operators. They are using officials of the Reserve Bank Of Zimbabwe and secret police to raid hunting safari company offices to seize their books, arresting some of the operators claiming that the companies have charged or paid excessive commissions. This mess could result in serious problems for anyone with a hunting safari booked in Zimbabwe.

There is a chance that the government could deny licenses to hunters arriving in Zimbabwe this hunting season which is just about to get under way. This problem could result in extensive delays in trophy shipments which must be cleared by the government. We have heard stories over the years of hunter's trophies being held hostage by the government in order to exert pressure on safari companies to pay up.

If I had a hunting safari booked in Zimbabwe for this season I would be talking to the agent and outfitter. I would be asking detailed questions of them and exactly how they plan to get through this crisis.

We have also been hearing stories of American hunters who attempt to exchange US dollars on the black market in Zimbabwe. This can be very dangerous if you are caught. If you bring cash to Zimbabwe, exchange it at an official foreign exchange office. The extra money you might get from the black market is not worth even one night in an African jail.

It is my sincere hope that there is drastic change in Zimbabwe soon, so that hunters may benefit from a more stable environment there. Zimbabwe would do well to emulate the safari industry in Namiba which is extremely well run and very safe for foreign hunters.