LECHWE

The Lechwe (Kobus leche) is a small golden-brown antelope. They have white underbellies and the males are usually darker in colour. Their horns are lyre-shaped and only belong to the males. Females do not have any horns at all.Their coat hairs are short and rough and their legs are long and slender. The head is characterized by a small naked rhinarium. Their tails are fairly long and have a black tuft of hair at the end.

Additional information

Mount Type

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Facts

• “Basterwaterbok” is the Afrikaans name.
• Females are smaller and lighter than the males.
• They have a gestation period of 215 days

Taxidermy

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.

Habitat

The Lechwe are found in Zambia, Botswana and the Democratic Republic of Congo. They travel in herds and are diurnal. The herds usually consist of one sex but during mating season they mix. Herds may have thousands of members as these animals are very social.They prefer marshy areas and use knee-deep water as protection from predators. Their legs are covered in a water-repellant substance that helps them run very quickly when they are knee-deep in water. They feed upon semi-aquatic plants.

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Professional Lechwe Taxidermy in South Africa

The Red Lechwe, Kobus leche leche, is a medium-sized antelope with dark spots on its front legs. Its  front shoulders are lower than its crop, which makes his body lean forward. This reddish animal can always be found near water, unlike the puku, which is smaller, lacks the patterns on the forelegs and is more golden in colour. Lechwe herds are mostly found in Botswana’s Okavango Delta and Namibia’s Caprivi Strip. There are a few of these sought-after trophies on game ranches in South Africa.

This aquatic antelope forms herds of 10 to 30 individuals and can be spotted in water at any time of day. The lechwe drinks water on a regular basis and consumes water grasses and other dry grasses. During the hottest parts of the day, the herd takes a break from grazing and rests on dry ground.

 

Hunting Lechwe

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.

 

What is Lechwe Taxidermy?

Taxidermied creatures aren’t actually ‘stuffed’ with anything. ‘Taxidermy’ comes from the Greek words ‘taxis’, meaning ‘to move,’ and ‘derma’, meaning skin (the dermis). The literal meaning of taxidermy is “skin arrangement.”

Here at Life-Form, we know a trophy is credible when it can’t be told apart from the real thing just by looking at it and touching it. The process of creating a stunning Lechwe taxidermy mount calls for a great deal of planning and forethought. With over 40 years in the industry and access to the highest quality raw materials, we produce trophies that will last the test of time.

 

Skin Preparation for a Flawless Lechwe Trophy

Skin the animal as soon as possible. If you are skinning the trophy in the veld, move it as soon as possible out of the direct sunlight. Removing the intestines quickly cools the carcass.

Whether it’s for a mount or a tanned skin, animals for taxidermy should never be dragged.

Verify that your trophy is appropriately marked.

Hanging the carcass as soon as possible will keep the hair off the ground and out of the blood. Now is a good time to wash away any more blood, if there is any.

It is crucial that the skinners understand just what kind of mount you are looking for. If you aren’t sure whether you want a full or shoulder mount, it is always best to skin for a full mount. The trophy you want will determine how you skin it.

When skinning, make sure to get rid of all the extra meat and fat. Rinse it again with cool water after removing the skin, and then let it dry for at least half an hour before salting.

Salt the skin. Some people let their skin soak in a solution of salt and water for a while, while others use dry salt, depending on what they have on hand. The takeaway here is that as soon as the skin is removed from the carcass, it should be immersed in salt; remember, there is no such thing as too much salt.

 

The Lechwe Taxidermy Process and Methods

The time required to mount an animal for display by a taxidermist might range from a few hours to several months. Nonetheless, the procedures are consistent regardless of the time involved.

Once the animal’s dimensions have been taken, the taxidermist will either order a mannequin or construct a mould to fit the skin. After that, the skin is tanned.

To ensure a proper fit before sewing, the skin is first placed on the form or model. A type of clay is put around the eyes of the model before glass eyes are glued on to prevent the skin from retracting and giving the animal a wide-eyed appearance. After the ear inserts have been bonded in place, the skin is reapplied to the form. The taxidermist will next airbrush, groom, and touch up the animal after the skin has been sewed up and the mount has dried.

 

Taking Care of Your Lechwe Trophy

Quality taxidermy always includes a nice hanger on the back of the mount. Depending on the weight of the mount, most shoulder mounts will hang from a single screw, toggle bolt, or lag screw.

Mounting most smaller items is as simple as screwing into wall studs. If the mount must be hung between studs, use a toggle bolt rated for the trophy’s weight. Mounts that are very large or heavy should be hung from a lag screw centred on a wall stud.

UV radiation can destroy your taxidermy. Keep the trophy away from direct sunshine, which can cause it to fade. Avoid displaying trophies in places where they could be knocked over. Don’t store your taxidermy in places with extreme humidity, like as a garage or screened-in porch. Also, as tempting as a large mount over the fireplace may be, the heat that emanates from a hearth isn’t ideal for a taxidermy mount.

To survive in the long run, your trophy must be cared for on a regular basis. If you keep your mount in a controlled environment free of moisture, heat, and sunshine, you can clean it once a month. If you live in a high-dust location, clean your trophy twice a month. To preserve the integrity of your trophy, we recommend Medix Africa, a product used and marketed by Life-Form Taxidermy.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

How Much Does a Lechwe Trophy Cost?

How difficult your taxidermy request is, how many trophies you want mounted, and the type of mount you want will all affect the cost of your trophy. Contact us to get the most affordable rates in South Africa.

 

How Long does a Lechwe Trophy Take?

Depending on the complexity of the mount, the demand on our taxidermists, and the criteria of your perfect trophy, the time it takes to mount an animal can be anything from a few weeks to approximately 18 months.

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