The evenings were fascinating – for there, too, I was in the presence of giants. Not only Robin, the legendary PH, but also Ade, who runs Karamojong Overland Safaris on the ground, and Prince Albrecht, whose vision and passion has been instrumental in the project. It was fascinating to hear these three true gentlemen, all hugely experienced hunters and passionate conservationists, talk about the PiaNupe Reserve, about the changes that time had wrought, the prospects for the future and tell stories about Karamojo Bell, or their own hunting experiences.
We were honoured to host Frederiko Kizza one evening in camp – Chief Warden for Mt. Elgon Conservation Area which incorporates a national park and three wildlife reserves. Frederiko works under the Ugandan Wildlife Authority and is a great supporter of the Karamojong Overland Safari project. I spent a few hours talking to him about why this project was working so well. Frederiko’s clear and concise manner of speaking showed his conviction that controlled sport hunting was yielding enormous benefits for both wildlife and communities in the area. “It has been found to be true that hunting for conservation is possible,” he told me, as we sat in camp, our only light coming from the big bright moon. “We’ve had 10 years of sport hunting in the PiaNupe reserve now, and we are seeing more species and bigger numbers of animals. It is directly related.” Frederiko has been working with many of the communities, but also to control poaching in this and other areas: “Poaching was a terrible problem, and the few animals that were here you could hardly find, they were always hiding. But we now see that the communities are pointing out poachers to us, and a lot of the poachers we arrest is because of local people informing us. The communities can see the wildlife increasing, but they can also now legally eat the game meat harvested. In addition because of controlled hunting, the old, ill or lame animals are hunted, which means that the young, strong and healthy ones can breed more.” Frederiko made it clear that it was not only a reduction in poaching, but also the selection of animals that helped the wildlife populations in the area.
The fact that a good revenue was brought into the region also helped: “The hunters take the hides and the trophies, but the communities get the meat and a good part of the revenue from each of the hunts. It makes them see more value in the wildlife than just bushmeat, and it makes them respect it. They see it, they get income, they still get to eat it, they want to conserve it.” Ade, who manages the project on the ground was also convinced that cooperation was, along with the benefits brought directly to the community, a deciding factor in the success of the project. “We work incredibly closely with the local people and 75% of the trophy fees go to the local communities.” he told me. We also give them the bulk of the carcasses – that which we don’t consume in camp. This is an area that is very protein deprived in diet, so that is a huge benefit. Before we started this, there was a huge amount of human encroachment on the PiaNupe Reserve. There was a lot of charcoal burning and of course cattle, which led to smaller and smaller patches of good habitat for wildlife. We represent the first seasonally permanent presence here for more than 50 years.” Ade and his team have a permanent presence managing the reserve with UWA as the supervisory partner, and conduct safaris through the four month dry season. “We’ve tried and I think succeeded to make the villages our allies, rather than alienating them. Places like this need that, but they also need the support of the government and we are getting that, as well as working closely with the Ugandan Wildlife Authority. We work with the communities to ensure that the cattle aren’t grazed freely, but that it is on arrangement, and planned.” As Ade explains, while cattle are an issue, you cannot go back a century and get rid of them – a more modern and flexible arrangement must be found.
A sign of the success is not only the numbers of animals, but also the species that are slowly returning. Soon, the plan is to reintroduce giraffe and the very special Ugandan kob, a rare species of kob that is unique to Uganda. And, as Ade says, while straight photo safaris or tourist safaris do bring a little income, they cannot be compared to hunting income: “The neighbouring national park has thousands of visitors a year. The benefits to the communities there are on a par with what we do here, but the elephant in the room is the human footprint. Here, our footprint is tiny – we are here for a short season, employing probably the same number of people, but for a handful of clients.” As we enjoyed the last setting sun of my Ugandan trip, I quizzed Robin about his time here 52 years ago: “I was the most junior hunter here. There were some of the most well-known of the professional hunters here: Brian Hern, Eric Anderson and a few others. I was only 23 years old, so it made a huge impression on me. I was incredibly struck by the beauty of it then. The vegetation is very similar today, but there are some changes. When I was here, there were lots of lion, but the cattle numbers have increase dramatically, so it is hardly surprising that lions were killed. There are fewer zebra too, but by and large, there is far more wildlife now than when I was here, which is remarkable. Buffalo, for example – we’ve seen herd of 120 or more, which is highly unusual from what I saw half a century ago.
“There weren’t. elephants here 52 years ago, and there aren’t now, but Frederiko told me that they are moving back into areas where they haven’t been seen for many many decades, so I feel that there is hope for them here, too. The Ugandan Government could not have found a better person than Prince Albrecht to entrust the well-being of the Pian Upe Game reserve to. How he and Ade are running this is the only way, I believe, to bring wildlife back to these areas. It is what we do in Tanzania, too, and what has saved wildlife in Namibia. The communities are our eyes and ears, they inform us when there are poachers or when there is a sick animal or anything going wrong. As long as there is reasonable grazing access, this is a plan that will secure the future for the wildlife of the region. When I was a boy, there were islands of people surrounded by wildlife. Today there are islands of wildlife surrounded by people.” The last word in the account of my open sight adventure on such hallowed ground must go to our host, Prince Albrecht. His vision and determination has been the catalyst and driving force for such a successful project in the PiaNupe Reserve, bringing hunting and conservation together for the benefit of local communities and wildlife. He also happens to have a frighteningly good encyclopedic knowledge of Karamojo Bell and his stories of the area: “What Robin has said about numbers gives me such encouragement, as does the fact that the Ugandan Government acknowledges that this project is working as a model. It’s astonishing to hear what it was like 52 years ago when Robin hunted here in his 20s. I’m hopeful that we can stay here for a long time, and help the eco-system in the region for the future. Bell’s personality moves me – he learned the language and loved it, and, like every hunter, loved the landscape. He didn’t only hunt elephant – he needed meat to feed his entourage and hides for the leather – he talks of going through six pairs of shoes in a year. When you read his books, you might think that there were elephants around every corner, but Bell would walk for days, weeks or months to track elephants, and, as Robin has mentioned, was highly selective. What becomes clear is that he succeeded only because he was good at making the locals his allies in the hunt. I like the fact that we are doing the same – we are forming long-lasting partnerships with people here and working towards a better form of management with their help.”
Kit Box:
John Rigby & Co .275 Rigby limited edition W.D.M Bell Highland Stalker rifle – johnrigbyandco.com
Hornady .275 Rigby 140gr Interlock SP ammunition – hornady.com
Rigby’s limited edition W.D.M Bell Highland Stalker rifle – The rifle itself was built exactly to Bell’s specifications, and is part of Rigby’s heritage series, which will be one of a collector’s series over the coming years. Just 50 of these Highland Stalker rifles have been made, in .275, with a spoon bolt handle, and a Mauser safety flag, and a Mauser 98 action. An ivorine front foresight and custom design rear half-moon sight offer three distances, with the option of a Rigby rear sight regulated at 65, 150 and 250 yards. The rifles come in a limited edition canvas case in vintage style and a copy of a previously unpublished book of stories by Bell.
To visit Karamoja and PiaNupe Wildlife Reserve: ugandaprohunts.com