This is a lion seen in October 2023 in the concession that I hunt in the Niassa Special Reserve. This is a fantastic trophy - big bodied, slack jawed, full maned and most importantly he is old enough by the stringent Niassa Reserve age criteria for lion hunting (which states no lions under 6yrs old are to be hunted).
Now the good news...DSC and SCI recently sent out a graphic from USFWS showing permitting updates for certain species. For a period of time, lion from Mozambique have not been allowed to be imported to the US, but I see with great satisfaction that USFWS have realised the great work being done by Niassa concessionaires in proving that hunting contributes to the protection of habitat and lion conservation in the Niassa Special Reserve. As a result the USFWS are now allowing lions from Niassa into the US on a case by case basis. This means that the service will scrutinize information provided by the applicant and the safari operator, and whether their activities contribute in a tangible way to wildlife conservation in that area, and only then allow an import permit to be issued if there are no detrimental findings. No other area in Mozambique has this special status.
I am happy to say that the operator I work with in Niassa has been at the forefront of conservation in this Reserve for 23 years. They have extensively documented their considerable anti-poaching efforts, community upliftment and sound wildlife management policies in an effort to assist with permit applications. Its their hard work which means you can ethically hunt a wild lion in a sustainable manner. Rest assured, your hunters dollars in this concession will make a real conservation difference!
If a proper, free range, wild lion hunt is what you seek, then contact me about hunting this amazing wilderness for a truly special hunt.