Hunting Zanzibar

Hunting at Zanzibar

As is the case with regard to safari, hunting is also not an option on Zanzibar. But if you happen to be an avid hunter, you could combine a relaxing holiday on the beaches of Zanzibar with a more action filled hunting vacation on the Tanzanian mainland.

Tanzania is home to some of the best areas for hunting on the entire African continent so if you want an unforgettable hunting experience, this is the place to go.

The Tanzanian terrain is very divers and therefore there is a wide variety of animals throughout the country.

One of the most sought after animals for hunters in Tanzania is the buffalo. Luckily, Tanzania has the largest population of buffalo in all of Africa. Here you can experience packs of up to several thousand of these giants. This animal is part of what hunters call ‘The Big Five’ which refers to the five most difficult animals to hunt. The buffalo, the lion, the rhinoceros, the elephant and the leopard are also part of this group.

The ultimate hunting season starts in August and ends in November – during this period it should be possible to track down at least a buffalo bull.

The hunt can be carried out by boat, canoe, and car or on foot – depending on what type of prey you are hunting.

What makes a buffalo hunt interesting is that they usually travel in large packs, which makes it challenging to select the right animal and get within shooting range of it without the other animals discovering the hunter and the guide. Beside that the buffalo pack moves around a lot so the animal you have chosen can easily get lost in the crowd.

You need to bring along a professional hunter who besides being an excellent hunter also knows the savanna and the bush like the back of his hand and therefore can guide you safely through the wilderness. This is an advantage when pürch hunting so you are able to get within shooting range of these magnificent animals.

Many people think that a hunting holiday in Tanzania is relaxing and not a very strenuous experience but you should not be fooled. When you are trying to track buffalos and elephants and you are walking around in the bush and climbing rocks under a merciless sun, you need to be in good shape – even younger hunters have had to succumb to the conditions of this way of hunting.

You should be aware of the fact that going on a big game hunt is not cheap. In addition to the trip itself, which starts somewhere around 10.000 dollars, you have to factor in trophy fees i.e. you will have to pay a predetermined price for each animal you kill. (Animals who are shot but not killed also has to be paid for) Trophy fees vary depending on what kind of animals you shoot during the hunt. A baboon, which is the cheapest animal costs 220 dollars, while a large elephant costs 25.000 dollars in trophy fees.