Veterinary Control
Internationally, any country into which an import is aimed, have the final say about the conditions regarding the import, or if the import is allowed at all. This means that the hunter (who hopes to obtain a special hunter's trophy which he would want to take back home) should in the first instance approach the veterinary authorities of his own country.This must be done before he sets off on his South African safari! The following should be obtained
1)An import permit, authorizing the import of his planned trophy, or, in case no permit is needed, a written letter indicating that a permit isn't required, should be brought to South Africa.
2)All requirements of the veterinary authorities of the hunter's own country should also be brought along in writing with the aim of presenting it to the South African veterinarian to adhere to.
Veterinary and export permits may be obtained from the State or Regional Veterinarians, but almost all taxidermists (the people who mount the trophy) will have the know how about the necessary paperwork for shipping a trophy abroad. The outfitter, without doubt, will have at least one or two taxidermists as part of his regular hunting network and may easily help to hunter in this regard.
After the (successful) hunting safari, the hunter has to approach the South African official veterinarian in the same area where the hunt has been done. Now, the above mentioned paperwork will be needed to finalize all compliance's and health requirements. On his turn, the state veterinarian will now be issuing the hunter with a veterinary health certificate concerning the trophies. The contact numbers and addresses of the district state veterinarians, as well as the Regional Director of Veterinary Services (who may be contacted in case any other information is needed), are listed in this presentation at *****************. If the hunting safari is finalized, an informational call to the South African Regional Director of Veterinary Services may be worthwhile at any rate, because an unexpected disease may hit a geographical area, changing control measurements just enough to make the safari uncomfortable.
At large, South Africa seldom experience much more than standard restrictions concerning the foot-and-mouth disease as well as those for the African swine fever. Both of these are well-known measurements to more or less all outfitters and officials in the hunting industry and wouldn't cause much discomfort at all. Apart from the above mentioned factors, movement of game products is, with the written permission of the outfitter, almost no problem in South Africa.
Of course, veterinary movement permits cannot be issued by outfitters themselves. This has to be done by State Veterinarians or by the Regional Veterinarian's office.
Foreign hunters may feel more comfortable with a more detailed picture of the standard restrictions concerning the foot-and-mouth disease as well as those for the African swine fever” that was mentioned earlier. For their convenience, the detail (which almost all outfitters will be familiar with), will be given in the paragraph to follow:
Restrictions concerning foot-and-mouth disease
Cloven-hoofed animals or products of them have, in the areas shown on the map, restrictions every hunter has to adhere to. Movement of these products has to be accompanied by a veterinary permit which the district's State Veterinarian can provide. The permit is granted for a single movement only.
The four foot-and-mouth disease zones are:
1)The Kruger national park zone
Only the Parks Board abattoir in Skukuza, the main camp of the Kruger Park, can process and treat cloven-hooves game's products from the Park itself, for it is an endemic disease area.
2)The red line zone
A line, extending about 15 km (10 miles) wide outside the Kruger National Park, running all along the Kruger Park, to the west and south, extending in the same way alongside the Mozambique border (thus 15 km wide from Komatipoort to Swaziland).
Here, carcasses or meat from the specified game may not be moved out of the area, with the exception of biltong (dried, salted meat, seen as a most delicate treat in South Africa). The biltong has to be totally dry and prepared with vinegar.
Well treated trophies, skins and hides may be moved out of this area under the following conditions:
Trophies:
a) Immersion of all horns in a mixture that includes at least 5 % formalin or 5 % washing soda for at least 24 hours.
b) Masks should be treated with salt and 5 % washing soda and be stored for a period of at least one month under supervision of a State Veterinarian
OR
After it been salted and dried, stored for a period of at least three months under
supervision of a State Veterinarian
OR
Immersed in a solution of sodium silica-fluoride saturated salt, mixed 1:2 500, and kept there for 24 - 48 hours (depending on the size)under supervision of a State Veterinarian
c) Skulls and skeletons should be boiled and dried
Skins and hides
Treated with salt and 5 % washing soda and be stored for a period of at least one month under supervision of a State Veterinarian
OR
After it been salted and dried, stored for a period of at least three months under
supervision of a State Veterinarian
OR
Immersed in a solution of sodium silica-fluoride saturated salt, mixed 1:2 500, and kept there for 24 – 48 hours (depending on the thickness of the skin)under supervision of a State Veterinarian
3) The secondary zone
This area, 10 - 20 km (6 to 12 miles) wide, which extended to the west along the same lines as the red-line area. Products of cloven-hooved animals are allowed to move out of this zone with a veterinary movement permit without any other regulation other that all carcasses should be without any entrails, head and feet, and it should be clean and properly dressed.
4) The remainder of the controlled zone
If a veterinary movement permit is obtained, no other regulations have to be adhered to.
Restrictions concerning African swine fever
The restrictions concern the handling of the domestic pig, the warthog and the bushpig.
As with foot-and-mouth disease, a veterinary movement permit is prescribed for the movement into, within or out of this area. Carcasses and meat of this three animals may be moved within this area, but isn't allowed to be taken out of the restricted zone. Trophies and skins, however, may be moved out of the area if the following conditions are met: