Hunting party riding the vehicle down a cutline at the start of a day, Zimbabwe

Species we hunt

Thirty-six animals across three countries. Each page below covers what to look for in a mature trophy, the months that hunt best, the rifle we recommend, and honestly what the hunt asks of you.

Big Five and dangerous game

Hunted on foot, tracked, and taken at close range. These are the safaris that need the most planning, the longest lead time and the most honest conversation about fitness and rifle choice.

Mature free-range bull elephant carrying heavy ivory, the quality of bull hunted with Nhoro Safaris in Zimbabwe

Elephant

45 lb+ a side

Zimbabwe
Cape buffalo bull face on with oxpeckers on its horns, Zambezi Delta, Mozambique

Buffalo

36"+ hard boss

South Africa · Zimbabwe · Mozambique
Mature male lion photographed in the wild on the Nhoro Safaris hunting ground, Zimbabwe

Lion

Males 6 years+

Zimbabwe · Mozambique
Mature male leopard taken over bait in riverine country in Zimbabwe with Nhoro Safaris

Leopard

Mature toms, 60 kg+

Zimbabwe · Mozambique
Old hippo bull standing in the shallows of the Zambezi River, Zimbabwe

Hippo

Old bulls, heavy tusks

Zimbabwe · Mozambique
Fourteen-foot Nile crocodile taken on a Zambezi sandbank in Zimbabwe with Nhoro Safaris

Crocodile

13 ft+ males

Zimbabwe · Mozambique
Mature white rhino bull with a heavy front horn taken under permit on a managed reserve in South Africa with Nhoro Safaris

White Rhino

20"+ front horn

South Africa
Brown hyena walking in open Kalahari country, showing the long shoulder cape that makes the trophy

Brown Hyena

Long, full shoulder cape

South Africa
Spotted hyena in wet bushveld grass, the common hyena on the Nhoro Safaris Zimbabwe concession

Spotted Hyena

Heavy head, big body

South Africa · Zimbabwe

Large plains game

The spiral-horned and the heavy antelope. Most of these sit at the centre of a seven to ten-day plains game safari, and several combine naturally with a dangerous game hunt in Zimbabwe or Mozambique.

Mature greater kudu bull with heavy 56-inch spiral horns in the Limpopo bushveld, South Africa

Kudu

52"+ spiral

South Africa · Zimbabwe · Mozambique
Two sable bulls standing in green grass

Sable

37"+ swept horn

South Africa · Zimbabwe · Mozambique
Mature nyala bull with 29-inch white-tipped horns taken in riverine thicket in Limpopo, South Africa, with Nhoro Safaris

Nyala

27"+ ivory tips

South Africa · Zimbabwe · Mozambique
Eland bull standing in open grassland, Zimbabwe

Eland

35"+ heavy bases

South Africa · Zimbabwe · Mozambique
Mature gemsbok bull with 39-inch horns taken in Kalahari sandveld, South Africa, with Nhoro Safaris

Gemsbok

38"+ heavy bases

South Africa
Roan antelope bulls standing in open woodland

Roan

26"+ ringed horns

South Africa
Tsessebe bull walking across red Kalahari sand, showing the high shoulders, sloping back and dark face of the basterhartbees

Tsessebe

Heavy ridged bases, clean tips

South Africa
Mature red hartebeest bull with heavy 23-inch horns taken in Kalahari country, South Africa, with Nhoro Safaris

Red Hartebeest

21"+ heavy boss

South Africa
Waterbuck bull standing in long grass, Zimbabwe

Waterbuck

28"+ swept forward

South Africa · Zimbabwe · Mozambique
Two blue wildebeest bulls drinking at a waterhole, Limpopo, South Africa

Blue Wildebeest

26"+ hard boss

South Africa · Zimbabwe · Mozambique
Mature black wildebeest bull taken on the open highveld plains of South Africa with Nhoro Safaris

Black Wildebeest

15"+ hard boss

South Africa
Close detail of a zebra's eye and stripe pattern

Zebra

Stallion, clean hide

South Africa · Zimbabwe · Mozambique
Old dark giraffe bull taken as a management animal in Limpopo, South Africa, with Nhoro Safaris

Giraffe

Old dark bulls

South Africa · Zimbabwe · Mozambique

Smaller plains game

Often added to a broader species list, and frequently the animals that make a first African safari feel complete.

Mature impala ram with 24-inch lyre-shaped horns taken in Limpopo bushveld, South Africa, with Nhoro Safaris

Impala

22"+ lyre horns

South Africa · Zimbabwe · Mozambique
Mature bushbuck ram with heavy 16-inch horns taken in riverine thicket, Zimbabwe, with Nhoro Safaris

Bushbuck

14"+ keeled horns

South Africa · Zimbabwe · Mozambique
Mature warthog boar with heavy 11-inch tusks taken in Limpopo, South Africa, with Nhoro Safaris

Warthog

9"+ upper tusks

South Africa · Zimbabwe · Mozambique
Blesbok ram standing in highveld grass, South Africa

Blesbok

15"+ ringed horns

South Africa
Springbok ram pronking on open plains, South Africa

Springbok

13"+ hooked tips

South Africa
Mature common reedbuck ram with 15-inch horns taken in vlei grassland, Zimbabwe, with Nhoro Safaris

Common Reedbuck

14"+ forward hook

South Africa · Zimbabwe · Mozambique
Klipspringer ram standing in dry grass, Zimbabwe

Klipspringer

4"+ spike horns

South Africa · Zimbabwe
Mature steenbuck ram taken in open Limpopo bushveld, South Africa, with Nhoro Safaris

Steenbuck

4.5"+ spike horns

South Africa · Zimbabwe · Mozambique
Common grey duiker ram standing in open bush, Zimbabwe

Duiker

4"+ ridged horns

South Africa · Zimbabwe · Mozambique
Mature bushpig boar taken over bait at night in South Africa with Nhoro Safaris

Bushpig

Mature boars, 2"+ tusks

South Africa · Zimbabwe · Mozambique
Two ostrich cocks in open grassland, showing the black body plumage and white wing plumes of mature males

Ostrich

Mature black cock, full plumes

South Africa
Mature male baboon standing in the open, the kind of old dog-faced male hunted with Nhoro Safaris

Baboon

Mature males, heavy maned

South Africa · Zimbabwe · Mozambique
Caracal, or rooikat, standing in long golden grass, showing the black ear tufts that identify the cat

Caracal

Dense coat, long ear tufts

South Africa · Zimbabwe
Serval standing in long dry grass, showing the long legs and large ears that distinguish it from other spotted cats

Serval

Crisp markings, dense coat

South Africa
Genet looking out from a hollow log, showing the spotted coat and dark facial markings

Genet

Crisp spots, full ringed tail

South Africa · Zimbabwe
African civet moving through dry grass, showing the heavy blotched coat, black face mask and raised dorsal crest

African Civet

Bold blotching, clean mask

South Africa · Zimbabwe
Bat-eared fox standing in dry scrub, showing the oversized ears it uses to locate insects underground

Bat-Eared Fox

Dense winter coat, full ears

South Africa
Black-backed jackal in golden grassland, showing the silver-and-black saddle that gives the animal its name

Black-Backed Jackal

Crisp saddle, full brush

South Africa · Zimbabwe
Cape porcupine on a bush track with its quills raised, showing the black-and-white banded defensive armour

Porcupine

Big boar, full quills

South Africa · Zimbabwe · Mozambique
Vervet monkey in bush, showing the grizzled olive coat and black face framed in white

Vervet Monkey

Mature males, grizzled coat

South Africa · Zimbabwe · Mozambique
Honey badger walking on bare ground, showing the pale mantle over the back that distinguishes the ratel

Honey Badger

Big male, clean pale mantle

South Africa · Zimbabwe · Mozambique

Not sure what to hunt first?

Tell us how long you have, roughly when you can travel, and whether this is your first African safari. We will put together a species list that actually works.

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