THE OMAY
THE OMAY
I J Larivers
(This article was originally published in African Hunter magazine.)
Lake Kariba was low, very low, as Chris Moore and I crossed from Kariba town to the mouth of the Ume River at the other end of the Eastern Basin. Probably as low as I have ever seen it, very reminiscent of the drought years of the early ‘90s.
The boat journey is probably the best way to get to Ume Camp. Many years ago I had driven in, taking the road from Magunje on the way to Kariba, and at other times through Gokwe, but once well-maintained roads are in pretty poor condition now. When the rains come, they get worse.
The hunting operation in the 2.2 million acre Omay Safari Area is run by African Conservancies, which are affiliated to Carbon Green, a company that generates carbon credits with environmentally-friendly development initiatives for the local rural district council. That’s one of the things that makes Omay special: African Conservancies and Carbon Green enjoy an outstanding level of cooperation with local villagers. This is necessary in today’s Africa; it follows on from the ‘if it pays it stays’ concept used by the hunting fraternity. The reality is that unless the rural African communities are on-sides any programs or developments have a very poor chance of success. Omay combines a carbon credits approach to local development synergised by sport hunting, and the local people see the tangible benefits delivered to their doors. Literally.
We had an early night, and the next morning we were up at 05.00 to go and deal with a problem animal control hippo that had already claimed one human life. Chris had been away, and the local district council game scouts had attempted to shoot it, but with inadequate weaponry and skills. Chris has a beautiful old bolt-action in .450 Watts, and while ammo may not be readily available in Zimbabwe, either.458 Lott or fire-formed .375 H&H in the 500gr/2,200fps range are just the thing for dangerous game on PAC operations.
In a wide lagoon running behind the Bumi Hills hotel, it didn’t take long to identify the offending hippopotamus. There were few enough of them to carefully glass each one and the one in shallow water, unable to lift its head properly was The One. In the end, as the animal was no longer coming on shore to go on the offensive as it had been wont to do, Chris opted to go with a handful of locals in a rickety old boat that was (maybe) one step up from a canoe.
In typical African village style, everyone wanted to go along, but the helpers were eventually reduced to four. Chris dispatched the hippo quickly and got a length of rope around one leg as the wind was getting up and the lagoon turning rough. On shore, attempts to drag the carcass out with a rope attached to the vehicle were futile - always bring a good rope! No matter. In no time a small horde of Tonga villagers were waist-deep in the water, laboriously rolling the animal ashore. A couple of big crocs that were very much in evidence earlier were all but forgotten in the presence of this largesse.
The hide panels and the head were recovered, and the meat was divided up among everyone in the tiny fishing village. There was the expected pre-feeding frenzy and we had to wait until almost dark so Chris could ensure that everyone got a share of the spoils. PAC animals provide a welcome source of fresh meat for the locals, and having an operation like African Conservancies on the ground year-round also gives the locals some peace of mind when a dangerous game animal does go rogue.
I’d already had a couple of excellent meals at Ume Camp - the cook swears he can’t cook, but he’s not telling the truth - but only got to have a look around the next morning. The camp is built overlooking a stretch of the upper Ume River, a portion of which had cut through its banks the previous rainy season and left a flood plain behind. This was great for bushbuck, waterbuck, impala and kudu, but it did pose a problem for elephants that can get bogged down and perish if they’re not extricated in time. Chris recounted a number of incidents of this from the previous rainy season, and described the various methods they used to free the great beasts - if they found them in time. Evil sport hunters saving trapped and injured animals. The kind of thing the mainstream media shies away from like the plague but nonetheless is a frequent reality.
The chalets are very comfortable thatched A-frames, all en-suite with electricity supplied by generators as and when required. Sadly, there is Wifi available, but no place is perfect. Hot water comes from the old ‘Rhodesian boilers’, and the pub located below the spacious dining area boasts a magnificent view of the flood plain below and a small pool and fire pit - what more could you ask for?
The key species which attract hunting clients are buffalo, lion and leopard.
The north and the south of the Omay have now been consolidated into one area, and the infrastructure of camps, roads, etc., is being constantly upgraded. Male and tuskless elephant, hippopotamus, crocodile and sable are also on the main hunting menu, augmented by quotas for male eland, kudu, reedbuck, impala, grysbok, klipspringer, duiker, bushbuck, zebra, jackal, honey badger, hyaena, civet, genet, porcupine, baboon and monkey.
Chris has done what a lot of other concession managers should have been doing for a long time and systematically reduced quotas of the core species and closed certain areas to hunting - especially along the boundary with Matusadona National Park - with the result that there has been a noticeable increase in numbers and trophy quality in a very short time. Big herds of buffalo are now coming into the concession, not being harassed by arbitrary gunfire, and not going back. This is the whole idea and 2017 should be a very good year in the Omay.
Probably one of the more glaring examples of a hunted-out area that I can call to mind is Chirisa – I remember it from the bush war days and so I know firsthand what it could be, if only quotas were cut back and certain areas given a breather for awhile. I can remember having to stop while a hundred roan crossed the road in front of me. While some of the operators have cried foul over Chris’s closures and restrictions, in the end it can only benefit them and their clients.
We talked about developing bird shooting as an extra that might appeal to some clients, fishing - there are excellent tiger on the Ume - and perhaps even the possibility of offering clients the option of being housed on a houseboat instead of in camp if they so desired.
Omay has long had a reputation as a rugged area; if you get your trophy in Omay, you have worked hard for it, and Chris’s management style has made for both better quality trophies and more affordable safaris.
Where you have wildlife you have a poaching problem. Like most places, it is twofold in the Omay: commercial bushmeat, and ivory poaching. Chris has put together a sixteen-man anti-poaching unit, which he has vigorously trained. Their arrest record to date is more impressive than that of most conservancies; he runs a large network of confidential informants, and has taken other, innovative, steps that are best not publicised for fear of compromise of operations. Snaring in most areas has been contained, and elephant poaching reduced to a shadow of its former self. This all costs a lot of money, and benefits and protects all species, not just huntable species. Currently it is being funded by Carbon Green, and by sport hunting.
The Omay is one of Africa’s true gems. Rugged terrain and almost indescribable beauty. It’s still a work in progress, as any hunting destination always is, but it has the potential to provide the hunt of a lifetime.
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