Hippo hunting South Africa is an age-old tradition deeply rooted in African culture and history. Revered as one of the continent’s most dangerous and awe-inspiring creatures, the hippopotamus, or “river horse,” embodies strength, resilience, and majesty. Designated as a perilous game species, this creature surpasses the combined lethal impact of Africa’s “Big 5” species and merits utmost deference. Predominantly adopting a grazing lifestyle, hippos are nocturnal foragers while reserving the daylight hours for resting in and near the water.
Where to Hunt Hippos in South Africa
The preponderance of offered hippo expeditions in South Africa transpires within the provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga. To secure a coveted opportunity for a Hippo hunt, meticulous premeditation and timely arrangements become imperative. The limited hunting prospects result from stringent regulation governing the allocation of quotas.
A hippo hunt great add-on to your plains game safari.
Hippo hunting South Africa can be a great dangerous game add-on to your African plains game Safari. Often, you will hunt spot-and-stalk style, but a hippo hunt can also be done from a hide. If you’re hunting from a hide, the outfitter will probably have the area pre-scouted to find the trophy bulls and where they are spending their time.
Spot-and-Stalk Hippo hunting can be very exciting.
Traditional approaches to hippo hunting involve a methodical blend of stealthy movement and observational pursuit along the fringes of rivers and reservoirs where these magnificent beasts tend to congregate. Determining sex and trophy size of a submerged hippo is difficult, so ideally you’re looking for a mature male calmly basking near the water’s edge.
Once you find a good bull, it’s time to get a good rest and make a precision brain shot to anchor the animal. Often though, he’ll make it into the water where the animal initially submerges, only to resurface subsequently when the buildup of gastric gases triggers its inflation and buoyancy, thus initiating the recovery process.
Night hunting is a possibility in some cases.
Hippos can be extremely destructive in sugar cane fields, vegetable crops and even plantations where they may feed at night. In such cases the nature conservation authorities may issue a night hunting depredation permit so make sure to ask the question whether you will be hunting at night. Classified as vulnerable, no CITES permits are required as yet but special licenses and night hunting permits are required to hunt hippos at night.
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