Engelbrecht Safaris - Namibia - Dangerous Game

Cape Buffalo Hunting Safaris in Namibia

Cape buffalo are legendary game animals in Africa, and truly represent the types of adventures available on safari. Often travelling in large herds, and known to be aggressive when confronted, Cape buffalo are commonly the #1 species on a big game hunters wish list.

Cape buffalo, also known as "Black Death", are large, tough animals who can keep going after multiple hits from large calibre rifles. In the case of a buffalo charge, even multiple hits right into the boiler room may not drop a bull in his tracks. As a result, cape buffalo must be taken very seriously when hunted, and clients must be willing to get into tight situations if pursuing any of Africa's dangerous game.

Cape Buffalo Hunting Packages

For many of our hunting clients, buffalo are the top priority. We have areas available with massive herds of buffalo which are a larger distance away from our lodge, but which offer opportunities at larger herds and typically larger bulls. For other clients on a mixed plains game hunt or more casual safari, it may be better to spend a couple of days hunting buffalo in a closer hunting area, passing up a few inches of horn for less travel time. Depending on your individual interests and requests, we can put together a buffalo hunting package that meets your goals for the safari. Regardless of the details, you are sure to get an adrenaline rush when the crosshairs get settled in on your first cape buffalo!

Elephant Hunting Safaris in Namibia

Elephant hunting is often the peak moment in a hunting career. Hunters will travel from all over the world in hope of having just one shot at a true, trophy elephant. And when that moment finally comes, the rush of squeezing the trigger on such an amazing animal is really what hunting is all about.

Elephant hunting is particularly interesting due to the strict management practices implemented by local government agencies. With very specific rules and restrictions on which types of animals may be harvested based on the limited permits, hunters will often have the opportunity to get very close to several elephants while on safari, as outfitters, guides, and government officials judge animals for certain criteria. It may take several days and several groups of elephants before a shootable animal is located, and this only adds to the excitement of the hunt.

Elephant Hunting Packages


For a lot of our clients joining us on safari, they are surprised to learn how affordable it actually is to take an elephant in Namibia. With various options for tags available (trophy, non-trophy, problem animal, etc.) it is possible to experience the rush of an elephant hunt without needing a second mortgage on your house! While many parts of Africa are extremely expensive for elephant hunting, we offer some reasonably priced options for hunters looking to add an elephant to their photo albums and hunting experiences.

For more information about elephant hunting safaris in Africa, please contact Engelbrecht Safaris today. We would be pleased to answer any questions you may have.

Hippo Hunting in Namibia

Hippo hunting has become more popular over the years for hunters travelling on safari in Africa. With the reputation of aggressive charges and large bulls coming crashing towards you right out of the water, it's not surprising that more and more hunters are adding hippo hunting to their wish list in Africa.

Hippos are massive, interesting animals and they can be hunted with a couple of different strategies. Depending on our client's requests (as well as physical abilities and shooting abilities) we may either hunt hippos along the edge of the water, shooting them as they surface, or we may hunt them on dry land. Each type of hunting has its advantages, although over recent years more hunters have become interested in hunting the hippos on higher ground.

Old, mature bulls will often separate themselves from the main herds and spend their days in small water holes or pools back in the thicker bush. When confronted in these situations, it is quite common for the bulls to come crashing out of those ponds in a full charge towards the hunters. If this situation arises, there is little that can be done — aside from a perfect brain shot — to live to hunt another day. These situations must be taken very seriously, as many a hunter (and non-hunter) have been killed by charging hippos. So we don't go out looking for these dangerous situations with our clients. However, for those clients interested in shooting a hippo on dry ground, and those willing to risk a charge, we do offer some very exciting spot and stalk hippo hunting through some interesting terrain. Often, shots will be at close range, and adrenaline rushes from these encounters can be very tough to beat.

If you're interested in an exciting spot and stalk hunt for a giant hippo bull, certainly contact us today and we would be happy to offer more details about the hunt.

Crocodile Hunting Safaris in Namibia

Crocodiles are unique, interesting trophies and a lot of fun to hunt. For a lot of our clients, this is high on their "wish list" and a species that we start to hunt as soon as our hunters arrive. To be successful on a crocodile hunt, clients must be patient and wait for the perfect shot opportunity — which doesn't always happen quickly.

While there are plenty of crocodiles available in Africa, that doesn't make them easy to hunt. With a keen sense of "fight or flight", and usually relying more on the "flight" approach, crocodiles will vanish into the water at the first indication of danger. Whether a slight vibration in the ground, a sudden movement, or a nearby bird suddenly departing, crocodiles have a keen sense of survival and use it much to their advantage.

How Do You Hunt Crocodiles?

Crocodiles can be hunted with two main tactics that are commonly used in Africa. The first tactic is simply to spot and stalk the crocs on sandbars, where they will often lay up in the sun in the mid day hours. While this approach can certainly work in some situations (and is very exciting for sure!) it also requires a reasonable amount of luck to find the right crocodile in the right place for a stalk. With some crocs measuring 15 feet or more, we try to be selective with our clients to shoot a large, mature animal whenever possible. So just because a croc is available on a sandbar, doesn't mean that's the right croc to hunt.

The second strategy — which is often used by Engelbrecht Safaris — is to bait an area with shallow water and nearby sandbars, to attract different crocodiles into the area. The importance of the shallow water is largely for retrieving the animals after they are shot. Crocodiles are tough animals, and even with a well placed shot they can quickly slide into the water, making retrieves quite difficult, especially in deeper water (which also has other crocs living beneath the surface). Even in shallow water areas though, it is critical for clients to be very accurate with their shooting. Well placed neck shots are usually the best option whenever possible.

Leopard Hunting in Namibia

Namibia has become recognized as a top choice for trophy leopard hunting. With excellent populations of leopards throughout the country, Northern Namibia in particular has produced some exceptional trophies over the years. As any trophy hunter worldwide will agree, there are multiple factors required to produce high quality animals of any species. Excellent food sources, heavy cover, and carefully managed hunting are all contributing factors to success – regardless of the species.

In Northern Namibia where Engelbrecht Safaris conducts their leopard hunts, a combination of tough, mountainous terrain, thicker flat terrain and an abundance of plains game as a food source,help leopards have the ability to reach their true trophy potential. Additionally, with only a very small number of permits being issued every year, our cats have the opportunity to grow to their full potential as hunting pressure is very limited.

Leopards are incredibly intelligent cats and can be tricky to hunt without a proper set up. While some parts of Africa will allow for hunting leopards with dogs, at Engelbrecht Safaris we operate these hunts completely on a baited basis. Leopard baits will be set up for several days in advance of the hunt, and we always do everything possible to improve our odds of success.

At Engelbrecht Safaris we always make a point of telling our hunters what to expect in the field (as much as possible) so there aren't any negative surprises along the way. When it comes to leopard hunting, the most important thing hunters must have is patience.

Engelbrecht Safaris has had extremely high success rates on trophy leopards over the past several seasons. We will only pull the trigger on mature male leopards, and our Trophy Gallery speaks for itself. Given the extremely limited permits available, it is recommended that you book your hunt well in advance to increase your chance of receiving a tag. If a trophy leopard is on your bucket list, please Contact Us Today For More Information.

Cheetah Hunting in Namibia

Namibia is the only country in the world where you can legally hunt cheetah. While there are very strict exporting regulations (and even stricter regulations for importing into many countries), Namibia still provides an excellent opportunity for sport hunting these beautiful cats.

Cheetah are well known for being the fastest running animal on the planet, and can run down Africa's antelope at mind blowing speeds. With their incredible ability to run down fresh meat, cheetah are not scavengers such as many of the larger cats in Africa. So while a leopard or lion may respond well to baiting, and return regularly to feed, cheetah prefer to hunt down a fresh kill on their own. As a result, cheetah don't respond to baiting tactics, so hunting them can become quite tricky — and often involves a good bit of luck!

Many professional hunters will tell you that cheetah hunting is largely a matter of being in the "right place at the right time".

At Engelbrecht Safaris we have taken some beautiful cheetah over the years, and have a large trophy male proudly displayed in our lodge. Currently, hunters from Canada are allowed to import cheetah trophies with the appropriate paperwork completed. (Contact Us for Details.) Hunters from the U.S. are not allowed to import trophies, but are still allowed to hunt them with a permit.

For more information about cheetah hunting in Namibia, please Contact Us Today.