It is the scent of Africa—wood smoke—its light, its clear air, and its thorny savannas that captivate the hunter first safari in Africa.
Then come its sounds: the murmur of the rivers, the calls of the bush, and the magical and terrifying sound of the night.
There are some places capable of changing us forever, and one of them is Africa, ready to host hunters with its almost lunar landscapes, surreal scenarios, breathtaking contexts, and extraordinarily varied landscapes: from gentle hills to mountains, wide meadows, rivers, and deserts.
Once you set foot on these lands, the scent imprints itself in your mind, and the intensity of the memory and the strong emotions experienced never leave you. Those who have reached this continent know that hunting before and after Africa is not the same.
There is a proverb that says, “Anyone who has drunk the water of an African river will be compelled to return.”
And that’s exactly how it is; Africa welcomes you into its fatal embrace and never lets you go.
Antelope Hunting
Tracking antelopes, cunning and tenacious, amidst the wild and majestic nature, is certainly an excellent way to start getting acquainted with the rugged yet captivating and evocative environment of the African continent.
Once you’ve experienced hunting the so-called “plains game,” the desire to pursue these fascinating and numerous antelopes never leaves the hunter, whether a trophy collector or simply a seeker of emotions.
Long, strong legs and excellent hearing make approaching antelopes a real challenge.
However, listening to the suggestions of your guides, who are expert hunters, will be enough to develop a good strategy, ensuring the success of the hunt.
Hunting “Dangerous Game”
Once you have become familiar with the African continent and experienced antelope hunting, which finds its greatest expression in Botswana, South Africa, and Namibia, you can start venturing into hunting the so-called dangerous game.
The challenge with dangerous animals evokes the “sweet perversion” of risk, driving one to attempt and reattempt approaches to buffalo, lion, and hippopotamus, to wait for hours for a leopard to climb a tree and seize the bait, leading up to the ultimate challenge: the hunt for the elephant.
Its long, light stride, silent as a falling leaf, challenges the hunter to follow, despite fatigue and fear slowing the action.
Then, arriving just a few meters from the pachyderm, after studying its ivory, the rifle is raised—rear sight and front sight aligned on the temple—and the shot is fired.
Safari in Africa: The Most Diverse Species of Animals
For its variety and abundance of game, Africa is a true earthly paradise, a stage for unforgettable hunts.
Herds of buffalo roam the vast Zambezi River delta between Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
Among the gray branches, spots of various shades of yellow can be glimpsed: it is the lion king, with all his majesty, hiding and emerging from the densely bushy thickets.
In the mountains, savannas, prairies, and forests of the vast African continent lives the leopard, the most silent and swift of them all.
Among the scents of southern flowers and the colors of South African aloe, the red soil along the banks of the gentle Limpopo River is the refuge of the hippopotamus.
Utopia, dream, adventure, enchantment, and wonder—Africa is a mystical and wild continent, and hunting here has no equal.
The experience goes beyond hunting, as you traverse villages, shantytown outskirts, and markets overflowing with fruit (ripe mangoes, sweet papayas, jackfruit, and perfectly shaped and flavored pineapples). This way, you savor all of Africa in its every nuance and meet its people with eyes too immense and yet too small to contain the continent’s wonders. You share time with them, learning from their skills as trackers, guides, and talented artisans.
You are amazed by the bearing of queens dressed in rags with a water jug like a crown.
Africa will become a part of the hunter who experiences it, making thoughts fly lighter, bouncing from star to star in the deep black of its night.
It’s a magic that stimulates the “nostos”: the desire to return.
If you have never experienced hunting in Africa and would like to embark on your first safari, or if you have already been to the continent and have a desire to return, contact us here.
ph: Stefano Franceschetti
