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Hunters turned guides in southern Tanzania
Author: Richard Smith

Ryan Wienand and Anton Turner have been arranging hunting safaris in the huge Luakala area of the Selous Game Reserve for ten years. Realising their passion is really for wildlife and not for hunting, they’ve radically changed the face of tourism in the southern Selous by turning their hunting area to a photographic safari destination.

At 300,000 acres the Luakala area outstrips other private concessions in Africa and is even bigger than some national parks. In this case however it’s just part of the much bigger Selous Game Reserve, which at 55,000 square kilometres dwarfs renowned national parks such as Kruger in South Africa.  Until now, much of the southern area of the reserve has been given over to hunters, who come to shoot big game on a permit system, whilst conservation has been the order of the day in a relatively small area of the north.  

To turn a hunting area into a photographic area has not been done before in the Selous, though it has in certain areas of Botswana, Tanzania and Kenya, and it is a development which must be welcomed by lovers of African wildlife.  There are a number of big draws including its huge size, no other camps, stunning scenery and a wide variety of wildlife. Boating, possible on the river at certain times of year, complements the game drives and walks.  

The whole place comes to life when tracking on foot. Having come from a hunting background Anton and his tracker, Abudiba, are very good at spotting tracks and then quartering back and forwards with the vehicle to find the animals. You then head into the bush with the tracker, an armed guide (Anton) at the front and an armed game scout from the national parks at the back. Using the wind to your advantage you get as close to animals as possible without disturbing them.

For us this meant 70m from a pack of wild dog, 50m from a herd of buffalo, which would have walked around us if they hadn’t spooked after a couple of oxpeckers gave the game away, and about 30m from elephant. It’s very exciting stuff.

I truly hope they make a success of this – it’s fabulous area and one which deserves guests whose aim is to only leave footprints.

 

  

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