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The Lechwe, Red Lechwe, or Southern Lechwe (Kobus Leche) is an antelope found in wetlands of South Central Africa.
Adult Lechwe typically stand 90 to 100 cm (35 to 39 in) at the shoulder and generally weigh from 50 to 120 kg (110 to 260 lb), with males being larger than females. They are golden brown with white bellies. Males are darker in colour, but exact hue and amount of blackish on the front legs, chest and body varies depending on subspecies. The long, spiral horns are vaguely lyre-shaped and borne only by males. The hind legs are somewhat longer in proportion than in other antelopes to ease long-distance running on marshy soil.
Lechwe are found in marshy areas where they are an important herbivore of aquatic plants, as well as grasses that are found in flooded meadows. They use the knee-deep water as protection from predators. Their legs are covered in a water-repellent substance which allows them to run quite fast in knee-deep water. Lechwe are diurnal. They gather in herds which can include many thousands of individuals. Herds are usually all of one sex, but during mating season they mix.
Lechwe mate during rain seasons of November to February. They have a gestation period of seven to eight months so a majority of calves are born from July to September.
Main Predators of the Lechwe are Lion, Leopard, Cheetah, Hyena, Cape Hunting Dog, Crocodile and Python
The Lechwe is native to Botswana, Zambia, south eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, north eastern Namibia, and eastern Angola, especially in the Okavango Delta, Kafue Flats, and Bangweulu Wetlands.
Lechwe taxidermy is the art of preserving the Lechwe skin and other body parts to produce lifelike sculptures for display, either at home as a hunting trophy or in museums for educational purposes. Skin is preserved and mounted on an artificial armature to display the specimen.
The contemporary English word “taxidermy” is derived from the Greek terms taxis, meaning “movement,” and derma, meaning “skin,” thereby combining these two meanings. This is why, in a broad sense, taxidermy is synonymous with “the motion of skin.”
For expert taxidermists, skills in sculpture, painting, and sketching are just as important as those in carpentry, woodworking, tanning, moulding, and casting.
The remaining parts of the body are synthetic replacements for real organs and tissues. Polyurethane foam is used for the manikin or form, which includes the anatomy of every muscle and vein; glass is used for the eyes; clay is used for the eyelids; for the nose and mouth the foam of the mannequin is sculptured.
Works of taxidermy can be found in a wide range of environments, including museums, classrooms, galleries, stores, restaurants, and private households, due to the complexity and delicate craftsmanship involved in the taxidermy process.
Thorough preparation is the key factor to ensuring a high-quality final product. All hides are tanned and oiled using the world’s very best available chemicals and processes to ensure permanence and longevity. Forms are selected to ensure the best fit and posture will be altered to suit you, the client’s preference without additional cost. Natural habitat bases are custom-made for full mount trophies without additional cost. Only the finest materials and 40 years of professional experience are used in defining your trophies in a whole new way. The final trophies are almost Life-Formed. When the restoration is required, every effort is made to repair cuts and abrasions, and to minimise bullet damage. Natural scarring is kept unless otherwise requested.
The Red Lechwe is not only an attractive trophy but also a thrilling hunt due to the animal’s willingness to fight back against its pursuer. As it watches you approach, it will stay a safe distance away. It is inevitable that shots will be lengthy, and that retrieval will mostly occur in the water.
A male Red Lechwe between the ages of five and seven makes for an excellent trophy. The horns are shaped like lyres. A male’s horn spread is an important factor to consider while deciding which animal to target. It ought to be broad and backward sloping, with horns that expand and hook forward. Typically, the older the male, the more worn out its horns will be.
As your shots are typically quite far, you’ll need a rifle with decent range. The.270 will perform fine, and the 30 calibre magnums will do the job admirably. Always use a quality expanding bullet weighing between 150 and 175 grains for hunting medium-sized antelope. The target area is the high heart and lungs, which can be reached by shooting straight up the foreleg about a third of the way into the body.
When making an Lechwe mount, careful planning is key to getting a high-quality result. When tanning and oiling the skins, only the best chemicals and methods are used. This ensures that the skins will last for many years.
Your preferred form for the Lechwe will be chosen after taking your measurements into account, and the posture of your form will be changed at no extra cost. Full-mount Lechwe trophies come with bases made to look like the animal’s natural habitat and made just for the Lechwe mount.
The taxidermy process at Life-Form takes your prized Lechwe trophy and gives it a whole new meaning by using only the best materials and drawing on more than 40 years of experience in the field.
When repair is needed, every effort is made to fix cuts and scrapes and lessen bullet damage. Existing scars are left alone unless the client asks for them to be taken away.
Using the helpful tips below, it’s important to take extra care of your prized Lechwe trophy to make sure it stays in perfect shape for years to come.
The pricing of any trophy is subject to the costing stipulated per taxidermy order, quantity of trophies and preferred mounting options, along with additional requirements.
Should you wish to receive a quotation prior to the hunt, the taxidermist can generate such for you. Please contact [email protected]
Taxidermy is an art form that involves a complicated step-by-step process to make sure that each trophy looks just right and is of a high enough quality that it will last your whole life.
The time it takes a taxidermist to mount an animal might range from days to weeks, and possibly several months, depending on the quantity of trophies per taxidermy order, the display preferences, and volumes of client trophies to be produced, simultaneously, per production schedule.
This depends largely on the “what, how, when” factors. A taxidermy order also only becomes available for production scheduling upon receipt of the required deposit and trophy mounting instructions.
