Thank you Dan French Taxidermy.

[Mafojani Safaris]

Denver, Colorado, 24-27 March 2022.

I had the opportunity to attend the International Sportsmen Exposition from the 24th till 27th of March in 2022. Arriving in Denver from Salt Lake city, I was a stranger in the 'mile high city.' I arrived to a slight snow shower, and to my astonishment, never ending thirsty and tiredness, despite being as fit as a buffalo in the middle of the summer season. Ohhh Denver, the mile high city!

The show was great, met a lot of conservationists (my opinion of hunters) who are interested on giving back to the environment through taking part in consumptive tourism (a story for another day). Outfitters, retailers and organizers of the ISE were busy during the days to make sure that their prospective clients are satisfied. Oh boy! its difficult to chose an outfit to hunt with when one is looking at over thirty-five outfits, all seemingly competent and exquisitely represented.

After the show on the 25th, when everyone was packing and getting ready to leave the convention center, I happened to walk past the Dan French Taxidermy exhibition booth and was awed by what I saw, and it reminded me of my home, the savanna. There, a lioness slept relaxed, I approached purposefully, wanting to see the life-like mount and Lizzy twitched the tail (a trick which I learnt had caught a lot of people off guard). My heart skipped a bit at the presentation and representation of the exhibition, as I said before, I went back to Africa and back in a single moment (Dan French went on to win the Best Exhibitor of the show).

We clicked at that moment and we engulfed ourselves with hunting stories both from Africa and the Americas, we became instantaneous friends. I admired the way he mounted his animals, how he involves everyone in appreciation of the species as well as his deep love for the wild and conservation. We had dinner together on that day and the next day I was invited to his family home. The family welcomed me as one of their own and they said I was one of their own. After the show was done, we went to the Rock Mountain National Park, played in snow, made a snow angel as well as a wish, Oh Boy! two men became boys for a moment. I regrated going back to the airport and flying out, but good things always come to pass, they say.

This is my success story which I want and will always share with my peers. In the hunting industry, genuine friends and families exist. I found mine in Fort Collins, Colorado.

NB: Lizzy (Dan French's daughter) mounted the lioness.