Giraffe hunting in South Africa

This long necked docile regal beast has a viscous kick and horns of solid bone when it comes to defensive weapons. Another major advantage they have over hunters is their height. These watchtowers of the savannah have excellent eyesight often standing higher than the trees and can spot danger from a mile away. The males are significantly larger than the females and turn a darker colour with age. They also have thick hides that emit an unpleasant odour giving them the name of “Stink Bull”. Once limited to the northern regions of the country, these animals can now be hunted country wide and contrary to media hype about declining numbers, many territories sit with the problem of over populations and sexual imbalances. Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and North West provinces used to be the hunting destinations of choice. Giraffes can be hunted in all the provinces but the general rule of thumb is as you move from west to east so the darker the colouring of their skin becomes. They are found in a wide spectrum of thornveld dominated habitats from dry semi-arid to sub-tropical areas. Always take note of the terrain prior to shooting these animals as they are the most difficult animals to skin and when they go down in rough country it can make skinning conditions very difficult. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is drawing attention to the plight of Giraffe which are currently listed as vulnerable. Some subspecies are considered critically endangered but the Southern Giraffe is flourishing. Their status may be changed at any time so make sure that you are up to date regarding any import/export sanctions that may come into being. Learn more about Giraffe hunting in South Africa from our blog