Southern
White or Square Lipped Rhino -
Ceratotherium simum

Resembling
something out of Jurassic Park and seemingly the most placid of the
Big Five to hunt, these rhino are known more for their belligerence
than for their ferocity. The conservation of these animals is a true
success story.
Once on
the verge of extinction, the white rhino now flourishes in reserves
and on game ranches throughout South Africa, Namibia and to a lesser
extent Zimbabwe. The population is healthy, estimated at over 8500 and
surplus animals may be hunted. Many game ranchers consider rhino an
excellent long term investment allowing many years of breeding before
hunting the older bull and replacing it with new blood.
CITES
The Southern White Rhino is allowed to be hunted as a trophy in
South Africa and Namibia. Importation of these trophies into USA
and Europe is allowed.
Trophies
hunted in South Africa only require a CITES export permit.
Trophies
hunted in Namibia require both import and export permits.
USA
importing guidelines
USA import permits application
SCI
minimum
score - 70
CITES
has recently allowed the trophy export export of very strictly
controlled BLACK RHINO hunts in South Africa due to their relative
stability in that country. Trends indicated that each year there
will be at least 2 bull rhino available for hunting however as
you can imagine, prices are very high.
Also
NOTE that South Africa has recently outlawed their popular darted
Rhino hunts due to abuse within game ranching circles (it seems
some rhino were being darted as much as 10 times a year!)
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habits
White rhino are
grazers preferring open bushy savannah with shaded trees and a constant
supply of water. They are larger than the Black Rhino and tend to have
a lighter colored skin. They are social animals usually living in small
groups however older males become solitary and very sensitive, often
developing cheeky habits of chasing vehicles and people.
The two
large horns on the elongated snout are composed of hair-like tubular
outgrowths which are shaped and sharpened by the animal into the characteristic
curved point.
hunting
tips - the hunt
We have heard
many people refer to their rhino hunt as "shooting at a barn".
In many cases this is true as many surplus rhino each year are sold
from game reserves to commercial ranches. These rhino are then hunted
after a number of years and usually do not lose their placid nature.
However,
the rhino has incredibly acute hearing and smell and on ranches where
regular hunting takes place, they become almost invisible despite their
size. Many hunters are led to believe that their rhino hunt is simply
a matter of pulling the trigger. When hunted on foot, and despite being
on a game ranch, the rhino is one of the most elusive and frustrating
of the Big Five to hunt.
hunting
tips - the calibre
The minimum calibre
for rhino is the .375 Magnum or any other calibre recommended for thick-skinned
game and a well-placed shot behind the shoulder is all that is required.
Usually shots are not over 50 yards. At death, the rhino lets out a
bleating whistle, sounding very much like a small duiker in distress.
hunting
tips - the trophy
Rhino are judged on the length of both horns and their base circumference,
added to give a total score. Rhino usually hold their head low to the
ground and broadside judgment of horn length is relatively simple, the
indicator being the height of the front horn relative to the ears. When
directly facing the animal, the horn should run above the ears as far
as possible.
A good
bull will have a visibly impressive front horn starting from a wide
base close to the front lip and curving up above his ears when the head
is held up. Cows generally have longer thinner and straighter front
horns and thin bases but it is not uncommon for bulls to have straight
horns as well.
You may
find an outfitter offering a Gold or Silver Medal rhino to hunt and
wonder about this assertion. It is likely that they know the horn length
as it has been measured while the animal was under tranquilizers during
veterinary inspections etc. However, remember that rhino do wear down
their horns by sharpening and gouging against trees and digging in the
soil so it would be a good idea to ask when the measurement was taken.
hunting
tips - where
Most Rhino hunted in South Africa with some taken in Namibia and up
until recently only the White Rhino could be shot. The Black Rhino darting
was popular before the closure however is no longer an option so if
you do want a Rhino then you'd have to get in line with about $200,000
in your pocket as this is what the they are selling for.
Safaribwana LLC, registered office: 5250 Cherry Creek South
Drv, #16J, Denver, CO 80246 - tel 720-277 1920 email:[email protected]
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