Theunis Botha
Theunis Botha
Background
Early Life
Video clip of Botha talking about his hunt for elephants.
Born and raised in the Kruger National Park region in 1966, Theunis was born to a pioneering family who had arrived in South Africa in 1878 where they settled into the wild and rugged regions in the country. HIs family were big cattle ranchers. [4]
Theunis lived and learned the ways of the Bushongo people. He later in 1983 attended Ben Vorster High School in the town he calls Tzaneen. [4]
They imported their first Bluetick in ’83 form Warren J. Haslauer of the Smokey River Kennels in Oklahoma US. Reagan as he was named was the son of the grand champion “Diamond Jim” and was later joined by Swindle from an Eastern Cape breeder specializing in Bush Pig hunting. [4]Together they joined the “Rough pack” locals, Rhodesian Ridgebacks hunting problem Leopard and Lion for the government around the Kruger National Park and surrounding cattle farms. [4]
Education
Photo of Botha with a client and their catch.
Photo of Botha with a client and their catch.
After Theunis completed his national service as a sergeant in the South African infantry, he served during the Angolan War after which he returned home to study.
In order to help pay for his studies Theunis started offering hunting safaris in 1989 and completed his degree in Psychology & Anthropology in 1991.
He graduated from University of Pretoria. [4]
It is at the university that he met Carike who studied Business Computing.
National Service
Theunis completed his national service as a sergeant in the South African infantry, he served during the Angolan War after which he returned home to study.
In order to help pay for his studies Theunis started offering hunting safaris in 1989 and completed his degree in Psychology & Anthropology in 1991.
Marriage
Photo of Botha with a client and their catch.
In the late 80s, Theunis and his girlfriend, Carike Dicke, got married.
They had known each other for some time while they were in college and she also grew up in the region, just north of Kruger Park.
Theunis Botha Big Game Safaris
After setting himself up with opportunities related to big game hunting by meeting many wealthy people interested in the experience, Theunis decided to go head on the route to engage with the big game hunting business.
His first official client was a Mr. Bill Reynolds from Montana who hunted a Leopard on the Botha game ranch bordering the Kruger.
On the very first day Theunis took the hounds out for a warm up walk, but they picked up a Leopard scent, later that day Bill got his cat.
Monteira Hunts
In Monteira hunts large packs of dogs are used to drive deer and boar towards hunters who then open fire on the animals.
Mr Botha was a specialist at hunting leopards with his big game hounds.
He would often travel to the United States to find wealthy customers to take part in trophy hunting in southern Africa.
Death
Botha with his clients after hunting a leopard.
On May 19th, 2017, while leading a hunt with clients the group accidentally walked into the middle of a breeding herd of elephants at the Good Luck Farm near Hwange National Park late on Friday afternoon.
Theunis attempted to shoot at the elephants but one of them flanked him by grabbing him by his waist and hoisting him up into the air his trunk.
He was thrown to the ground and stepped on by the elephant.
Several of the big hunting clients and fans of the act praised Theunis as a legend of safaris.
Others proclaimed that he had it coming for all of the corrupt practices that he was involved with.