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Big game hunter From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Muhammad Iqbal Mauladad (1926–1970), nicknamed Bali, was a big game hunter in Kenya.
Bali Mauladad | |
|---|---|
| |
| Born | Muhammad Iqbal Mauladad 30 August 1926 Nairobi, Kenya |
| Died | 18 February 1970 (aged 43)[1] Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya |
| Occupation | Professional game hunter |
| Spouse | Riaz Mauladad |
| Children | 5 |
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He was born into a rich and influential family of Kenyan Asians but, rather than joining the family engineering business, he became a professional hunter, leading parties on safari to hunt large animals, especially elephant. He was the first Muslim to be recognised as a white hunter and won the Shaw & Hunter trophy for best professional guide in 1966. He also competed in the Safari Rally, placing fourth in 1961. He died in 1970, following severe goring by a Cape buffalo.
He came from a rich family as his father, Chaudry Mauladad, was a successful civil engineer in East Africa.[3] He attended the Government Indian School in Nairobi and his father then taught him construction and contracting.[4] But, from the age of ten, he had learned to shoot a rifle and so, rather than join the family business like his brother Basheer, he chose to be a professional hunter in Kenya where he was born and spent his life.[3][4][5]
He joined the well-established business, Safariland, after World War Two and was successful as a big game hunter, leading rich clients on safari and killing many game animals, especially elephant.[3][6]: 179 The hunters he guided included the King and Queen of Nepal and the Governor of Colorado, Teller Ammons.[7] British shooting-brakes were converted into safari cars for these shooting parties and he designed a lightweight rifle rack for these which was made in Naroibi for him and most of the other hunters by the gunsmiths Wali Mohamed & Co.[6]: 175
Though he was from a Kenyan Asian background, he was admitted to the East African Professional Hunter's Association which was normally only open to white hunters.[3][8] He was the first Muslim to be recognised in this way.[2] His closest colleague in the hunting business was another Asian, Ikram Hassan, whose business was African Hunting Safaris, and they hunted elephant together in the coastal regions of Kenya.[6]
He was a large, powerful man, weighing 250 pounds (110 kg) and standing over six feet (1.8 m) in his prime.[5] He had a distinctive moustache and a warm, extrovert manner which made him popular with clients and the other hunters.[9] He liked joking and jazz, racehorses and rifles, fast cars and food, women and whisky – his favourite was Johnny Walker Black Label.[6]: 235 Besides hunting, he was also an enthusiastic cricket player and rally driver.[3] He took part in the Safari Rally four times.[3] In 1961, he and Lee M. Talbot placed fourth, driving a Humber Super Snipe over 3,000 miles (4,800 km).[10][11] He also took part in the 1956 production of the movie Bhowani Junction on location in Lahore.[12]
He was awarded the prestigious Shaw & Hunter prize for leading a client, Donald Harris, to the finest trophy of the year on 4 October 1966.[2][13][14] This was an Oribi antelope whose horns measured 7 inches (18 cm), beating the previous world record of 6+1⁄4 inches (16 cm).[2][13] The small size of the antelope was incongruous because Bali was himself known for his prowess in hunting elephants with enormous ivory tusks of up to 152 pounds (69 kg).[2][13]
Hunting was dangerous as he was once mauled by a leopard[3] and finally gored by a buffalo in Kibwezi.[6]: 235 The buffalo inflicted injuries which ruptured his liver and, despite treatment and recuperation, complications subsequently led to his death in 1970.[1]
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