It is no longer a myth or a rumour…. The BIG ONES are still out there!

MANUEL PARIENTE GAVITO, a hunter from Mexico, booked an elephant safari with JOHAN CALITZ SAFARIS in Botswana through Jay Leyendecker from Under the Sun Hunt Consultants and Wildlife Biologists in Texas.

Manuel and his agent Jay arrived in a lush green and hot Botswana on the first hunting day of the 2010 season. They were taken by well known and seasoned Professional Hunter Willy McDonald, to Joverega hunting camp in the African Field Sports concession, NG41, managed and hunted by JOHAN CALITZ HUNTING SAFARIS (PTY) LTD.

On Monday, 12 April 2010, as luck would have it, the hunting party’s vehicle got stuck but after several failed attempts, managed to free the vehicle from its sticky confines.

Just as they started driving again, they had a brief glimpse of two elephant bulls, a young Askari and a big old bull. The hunters immediately knew the Old Man was a keeper and followed the elephant on foot in hot pursuit.

Not long after, this magnificent giant and its young companion loomed out of the thick scrub and Manuel took it with a 458 Lott.

This is the biggest elephant taken since the re-opening of elephant hunting in Botswana in 1996.

The official measurements, as confirmed by master measurer Debbie Peake from Mochaba in Maun, are as follows:

Left tusk:
Weight: 104 lbs
Length: 77.3 inches
Circumference: 21.7 inches
Tip-lip: 50.4 inches

Right tusk:
Weight: 99 lbs
Length: 77.4 inches
Circumference: 21.1 inches
Tip-lip: 50.3 inches

Manuel, Jay, Willy, Wildlife’s escort guide, trackers: You have made us, Botswana and the entire hunting fraternity proud! Although everyone is in agreement that congratulations to all and sundry are in order, it is still a very humbling experience, great honour and privilege to be able to be in the presence of such greatness.

The exiting fact is that this Old Man undoubtedly has many off-springs wondering around in northern Botswana, which leaves us with the hope and dreams of similar greatness coming from this amazing country.

Although the news of this magnificent elephant is overshadowing everything else that has happened during the first week of the hunting season, it must be mentioned that he was not the only great tusker taken by JOHAN CALITZ SAFARIS:

PH Terry Palmer and his client, Mr Eyad Kayali from Spain, took amongst others a 90/77lbs and an 86/86lbs tusker in NG32 and Garth Robinson’s client, Abel Guerra, also from Mexico, an 86/86lbs beauty in NG34 – all in all a great kick-off to the 2010 hunting season!