DIPPING AND PACKING

After a successful hunt in Botswana, make arrangements to visit MOCHABA, or if you have time constraints, we will come to you! With over fifteen years of handling trophy shipments to destinations all over the world, we know what there is to know about trophy handling.

The next most important aspect to a successful hunt is the Dipping & Packing of your hunting trophies. We work with all the Safari Outfitters in Botswana: our name is synonymous with hunting in Botswana. When you return home, you will want your trophies shipped to a taxidermist and brought home to enhance those memories – the dipping, packing and shipping of your trophies is integral to this memory.

Its an illusion to believe that dipping and packing is simple and easy – its not, and every year we review our systems and structures to comply with a myriad of regulations and rules that change on a regular basis, and on an international basis.

At the end of your Hunt, you should sit with your Professional Hunter and complete a Trophy List. This is very important to avoid misunderstandings and difficulties in the shipping process. It should list the following information:
• your name and address and contact details
• the address to which your trophies should be shipped
• a complete list of your trophies, from the skull to the tail
• full preparation instructions should you wish your trophies to be mounted locally.

Once we have this information and the trophies, MOCHABA will work with your safari operator to obtain the licences necessary to obtain export documents. MOCHABA will prepare your skulls and skins to our Botswana Department of Animal Health & Production (DAHP / Vet) requirements: we will receive your trophy list listing your trophies, your contact address and numbers and your shipping instructions.

The Dipping & Packing process takes approximately 10-12 weeks: this involves cleaning skulls delivered from the field of all tissue, flesh / cartilage and fatty deposits and then collaborating with the Veterinary Department to treat skins with the required sodium carbonate treatment. We will also check your skins for unwanted residents, such as moths and beetles dermestes spp, and use a broad spectrum insecticide powder and the ever faithful, naphathalene (moth balls)

Once all the Botswana Export documents have been collected, we work with the relevant authority to obtain the necessary Import Permits. In the case of Leopard, an Import Permit is necessary. These are normally obtained on the basis of an Export Permit from Botswana, which confirms that the quota number is in accordance with the CITES Allocation for Botswana, and confirms that unique CITES Tag number.

If you’re coming from the US, its wise to talk with your nearest US Fish & Wildlife Office (provide addresses – DP) and obtain application forms which you can submit immediately after your return from your hunt here. This can take more than 6 weeks to process, so be patient!

With 15 years of experience behind us, we have the documentation process well developed and tested. Our packing boxes are manufactured specifically for heavy shipments and are palletized to minimize ground handling, which may lead to unnecessary damages.

All the major safari operators have developed a working knowledge of our systems and documentation works smoothly and efficiently.