Thats Africa

For a long time Anno Hecker resisted requests from both family and friends to publish some of his African experiences to give them an idea of what the African wilderness, its people and game were like. At last he has done so. Although he was not one of the lucky fellows who was born and bred in Kenya, with the opportunity to hunt big game from his childhood onwards, Anno''s stories are all that more exciting and interesting as he had to teach himself how to hunt as he went along. From his notes and memory he has written, in no particular order, what he considers of importance and interest to sportsmen. As an official thank you for his time in the Foreign Aid Service in Tanzania, he has a letter from the Permanent Secretary acknowledging the "outstanding services rendered to the Federal Republic of Germany". A treasured memento but not appreciated as much as the words of an old, illiterate tracker from the Luwegu river in the Selous. In the 1980s, when a friend wounded an elephant, he asked the professional hunter, a Maasai, whether he would allow Anno to finish off the wounded beast which had gone into the thick stuff. The Maasai readily handed over his .458 FN Mauser for the coup de grâce. As he was about to enter the thicket, Mfupa, the withered old tracker, wanted to guide him, an offer he kindly declined as he preferred to go alone on probably the last elephant hunt of his life. Whereupon Mfupa, with a respectful look in his eyes, remarked in Kiswaheli, "Ah! This one is still one of the old hunters from very long ago." "A day with Mr Hecker is equal to a whole year in Africa." (Christopher Borthen, Editor of British Stalking magazine)

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