Hunting Camp in Mozambique Looted and Destroyed by Insurgents
Update: April 29, 2025
Unverified Reports Continue to Swirl Around Attack on Hunting Camp in Mozambique
SCI has received additional information regarding the destruction of Chapungu-Kambako Safaris’ (CKS) main camp in northern Mozambique’s Niassa Reserve that had been reported earlier. Two fatalities, possibly a third, have been reported by the media but have not been verified by Mozambican authorities who have yet to issue a statement. This an ongoing and fluid situation and SCI is working to deliver verified information as it becomes available in order for hunters to make informed decisions.
Reports are based on, as of now, un-verified photos and information apparently leaked by a member of the military that responded to the incident. Mozambican forces have restricted access to the entire area around the CKS camp, preventing CKS owners, employees and family members of the deceased from entering the camp or verifying facts firsthand.
CKS joint-partner Jumbo Moore informed SCI about this development today, dismayed that officials did not inform the victims’ families or CKS first. Additional reports include other details that have not been verified by authorities. CKS is seeking information from officials for the affected families while moving client bookings for the Kambako camp to other camps and venues. SCI extends its condolences to the families.
News of this incident also affected safari operators far from the area, with several reporting cancellations by clients. While individual risk tolerance levels vary, hunters should remember that Mozambique is a large country encompassing over 300,000 square miles (800,500 square kilometers). The Niassa Reserve itself, is located in the northernmost stretch of Mozambique, comprises over 10 million remote acres (42,000 square kilometers) and sprawls across two provinces. The distance from the Niassa Reserve in the north to Maputo in the south is almost 1,400 miles (over 2,200 kilometers). That distance is farther than driving from New York City to Miami.
Hunters with trips planned for Mozambique should consider the locations of their safaris. Others may wish to review their travel insurance coverages. They may consider security evacuation insurance and discuss security with their operators. SCI members may contact the Hunter Information Service ([email protected]) for further information and assistance.
Original Story
On Saturday, April 19, insurgents looted and burned Chapungo-Kambako Safaris’ (KCS) main safari camp in the Niassa Reserve of northern Mozambique.
The US State Department reported it as an attack by terrorists and has issued a Level 3 Travel Alert for northern Mozambique. Reports from media sources in Mozambique are that the attack was conducted by the same insurgents that had also attacked the village of Nairoto in early February. Narioto is a village in the vicinity of a gold mining project in Cabo Delgado Province. That group is also accused of looting the village of Namoro 10 kilometers further south.
SCI spoke directly with KCS founding partner, Jumbo Moore a few days after the incident. He said reports about hostages being taken were incorrect and that his staff had been accounted for. “The looting took place while the camp was largely unoccupied and at this time no loss of life has been reported,” he later told SCI by email.
“We are working with the national defense forces as the incident is being investigated and to prevent such occurrences in the future.”
In an official statement later issued by KCS, Moore went on to say, “We are saddened by the tremendous loss of our Kambako main camp. These were opportunistic looters who wreaked havoc in an isolated incident where they not only took hold of valuable goods, including vehicles, food and supplies but also burnt down the camp.”
Moore said the camp had recently been stocked in preparation for the hunting season, a full supply of food and drink rations, clothing, boots, bedding and vehicles were all stolen. The camp had just received diesel fuel, solar and inverter systems, water pumps and more to support a season of remote operations. There were no clients in camp at the time.
“The bandits would have seen our trucks passing through various villages on the way in over several days and devised a plan to obtain these valuable supplies,” he said.
In a statement issued yesterday, KCS points out how the incident underscores the vulnerabilities faced by conservation operators in remote areas — not just from nature, but from opportunistic criminal activity. Despite the setback, KCS plans to rebuild the camp and continue operations in the Niassa Reserve.
“We’re still in shock,” Moore said. “It’s devastating to see 20 years of hard work and commitment to conservation and community wiped out in a single day. But this will not be the end of Kambako.”
KCS is currently contacting clients booked to hunt from the Kambako main camp this season with alternative arrangements at other camps within the operator’s portfolio across Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.
“We just ask for your patience,” Moore said. “We will assess, regroup, and move forward.”
For updates and alternative safari options, clients and supporters are encouraged to contact Moore at [email protected].
Hunters with safaris to northern Mozambique may wish to contact their operators about security and evacuation plans in their areas and consider security evacuation insurance. SCI partners with two companies that provide medical and security evacuation services: Global Rescue and Ripcord Rescue Travel Protection. The US State Department advises enrolling in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program STEP to receive security updates. SCI members may contact SCI’s Hunter Information Service for more information and assistance at [email protected].