Odd souvenirs and keep sakes from your trip....

[fhm3006]

Whats strange about eating raw meat?!....biltong is just raw spiced meat! Our favourite southern African delicacy!

...like raw from the carcass, not spiced / dried...

 

[joester]

Whenever I'm in Africa I always look to buy some elephant ( or giraffe) tail- hair bracelets for my female friends, co-workers, etc. Tree-huggers exempted. They're such a novelty and are always a hit. Even some guys wear them. Its ez to haggle down to about 2 USD each if you buy 6 or more...One caution---beware of plastic fakes (common) One way to differentiate, hold a lit match to it, real ones smell like burnt hide/fur, falsies smell like...plastic. I realize technically its importing an elephant product but I don't assume they are from illegally-killed animals...gotta judge on one's own there. I know a few smokepole hunters who bring their airline-un-allowed blackpowder in hand-loaded shotgun shells, and 2 wrongs of course don't make a right...

 

[enysse]

Joester, your friends are chancing a huge fine by loading black powder in shotgun shells...the airlines are wise to that...believe me.

There is thread on here by Cliff Tulpa...about this, a must read by you. This really friendly advice. I hate to see anyone facing a huge fine or doing prison time.

The elephant tails...I'm not sure about, I read all those US Fish and Wildlife warnings and it scares me off, I don't have the money to pay huge fines, lawyer bills etc. All it takes is one person to rain your parade.

 

[joester]

I agree on the blackpowder; these guys just won't listen! Maybe I'll bring back those plastic bracelets instead---don't tell those girls on me!

 

[AfricaHunting.com]

There is thread on here by Cliff Tulpa...about this, a must read by you. This really friendly advice. I hate to see anyone facing a huge fine or doing prison time.

Here is the thread: WARNING! Traveling with Muzzleloader Powder & Primers

 

[AfricaHunting.com]

The elephant tails...I'm not sure about, I read all those US Fish and Wildlife warnings and it scares me off, I don't have the money to pay huge fines, lawyer bills etc. All it takes is one person to rain your parade.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is an international agreement between governments that covers endangered species and potentially threatened species. Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. CITES covers items with fur, seashells, elephant hair, and certain endangered leathers, to name a few. The US Fish and Wildlife Service's International Management Authority is responsible for administering CITES for the United States. Most persons who import and export wildlife must file a special declaration and may be required to have certain documents from foreign governments as well. In most cases, anyone importing or exporting wildlife or wildlife products must file a US Fish and Wildlife Service form 3-177, which is the Declaration for Importation or Exportation of Fish and Wildlife.


Extract from Department of the Interior U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Federal Fish and Wildlife Permit Application Form, OMB No. 1018-0093, Expires 02/28/2014:
E. IMPORT OF SPORT-HUNTED TROPHIES OF SOUTHERN AFRICAN LEOPARD, AFRICAN ELEPHANT, AND NAMIBIAN SOUTHERN WHITE RHINOCEROS
Note 2: The U.S. FWS has determined that a trophy consists of raw or tanned parts of a specimen taken by a hunterduring a sport hunt for personal use. It may include the bones, claws, hair, head, hide, hooves, horns, meat, skull, teeth, tusks, or any taxidermied part, including, but not limited to, a rug or taxidermied head, shoulder, or full mount. It does not include articles made from a trophy, such as worked, manufactured, or handicraft items for use as clothing, curios, ornamentation, jewelry, or other utilitarian items. If you wish to import such products, please contact the Division of Management Authority for the proper application form.


Some links to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Forensics Laboratory showing what to look for:
- ELEPHANT HIDE CLOSE-UP / TANNED ELEPHANT SKIN / ELEPHANT TAIL HAIR CROSS-SECTION
- ELEPHANT HAIR BRACELET
- CROSS-SECTION OF AFRICAN ELEPHANT TAIL HAIR / CROSS-SECTION OF AFRICAN ELEPHANT TAIL HAIR


See attached Ivory and elephant product seizure data collection form from CITES.