Hunting Camp in Mozambique Looted and Destroyed by Insurgents

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].