Namibia Professional Hunting Association this week distanced itself from a professional hunter who was involved in a hunt during which a rhino cow was shot in the Mangetti National Park a year ago.
Professional hunter Peter Thormahlen is no longer a member of the Namibia Professional Hunting Association (NAPHA), after he resigned from the organisation in 2011 in the wake of a disciplinary investigation, the chief executive officer of Napha, Dietlinde Mueller, said in a statement on Monday.
Since his resignation from Napha, the organisation's disciplinary committee has received numerous complaints against Thormahlen, but the disciplinary committee cannot take any action against him, Mueller indicated.
She added that Napha "deplores the fact that time and again the image of trophy hunting is marred by reckless, irresponsible or immoral actions of a small minority of professional hunters".
Napha was reacting to a High Court case in which Thormalen's company, Thormalen & Cochran Safaris Namibia, sued the minister of environment and tourism as a result of the shooting of the rhino cow by an American client of the company. The case was settled out of court last week.
Thormalen & Cochran Safaris Namibia was asking the court to order the minister to take all necessary steps to give effect to a contract in terms of which a client of the company was given permission to hunt a black trophy rhino. In the alternative, the company wanted the minister to pay it N$3,2 million so that it could refund its American client, sandwich take-away chain owner Jimmy John Liautaud, and cover the expenses of the hunt Thormalen had arranged for Liautaud.
Thormalen & Cochran Safaris Namibia bought the right to hunt one black rhino bull from the Ministry of Environment and Tourism for close to N$1,3 million in July last year.
However, the hunt that was subsequently arranged went horribly wrong when Liautaud, who had paid N$3 million to hunt the endangered animal, instead shot a black rhino cow in Mangetti National Park on 28 September last year. The cow was the only female black rhino in the park.
In documents filed with the High Court it was claimed that Liautaud shot the cow in a situation of sudden emergency when the animal charged at the hunting group, which was following the tracks of what was thought to be a rhino bull. The hunting group included two game wardens from the ministry, Thormalen, and a big game professional hunter. It was also claimed that the group had been informed that the rhino cow in the park kept to an area far to the east of the area where they were following tracks.
In a plea in response to the company's claim, the minister's lawyer stated that the terms of the contract between the ministry and the company were "substantially fulfilled" since the hunter who had paid to shoot a rhino bull in fact shot a rhino cow. The trophy of the shot animal is available for export as previously requested by the company, it was also stated on behalf of the minister.
Professional hunter Peter Thormahlen is no longer a member of the Namibia Professional Hunting Association (NAPHA), after he resigned from the organisation in 2011 in the wake of a disciplinary investigation, the chief executive officer of Napha, Dietlinde Mueller, said in a statement on Monday.
Since his resignation from Napha, the organisation's disciplinary committee has received numerous complaints against Thormahlen, but the disciplinary committee cannot take any action against him, Mueller indicated.
She added that Napha "deplores the fact that time and again the image of trophy hunting is marred by reckless, irresponsible or immoral actions of a small minority of professional hunters".
Napha was reacting to a High Court case in which Thormalen's company, Thormalen & Cochran Safaris Namibia, sued the minister of environment and tourism as a result of the shooting of the rhino cow by an American client of the company. The case was settled out of court last week.
Thormalen & Cochran Safaris Namibia was asking the court to order the minister to take all necessary steps to give effect to a contract in terms of which a client of the company was given permission to hunt a black trophy rhino. In the alternative, the company wanted the minister to pay it N$3,2 million so that it could refund its American client, sandwich take-away chain owner Jimmy John Liautaud, and cover the expenses of the hunt Thormalen had arranged for Liautaud.
Thormalen & Cochran Safaris Namibia bought the right to hunt one black rhino bull from the Ministry of Environment and Tourism for close to N$1,3 million in July last year.
However, the hunt that was subsequently arranged went horribly wrong when Liautaud, who had paid N$3 million to hunt the endangered animal, instead shot a black rhino cow in Mangetti National Park on 28 September last year. The cow was the only female black rhino in the park.
In documents filed with the High Court it was claimed that Liautaud shot the cow in a situation of sudden emergency when the animal charged at the hunting group, which was following the tracks of what was thought to be a rhino bull. The hunting group included two game wardens from the ministry, Thormalen, and a big game professional hunter. It was also claimed that the group had been informed that the rhino cow in the park kept to an area far to the east of the area where they were following tracks.
In a plea in response to the company's claim, the minister's lawyer stated that the terms of the contract between the ministry and the company were "substantially fulfilled" since the hunter who had paid to shoot a rhino bull in fact shot a rhino cow. The trophy of the shot animal is available for export as previously requested by the company, it was also stated on behalf of the minister.
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