In Memoriam - Safari workers killed by poachers in Cameroon

[Scott CWO]

It is out on social media now so I think it’s okay to post what @DLSJR told me a couple days ago concerning a tragic attack in Cameroon. It seems that poachers attacked some Mayo Oldiri workers and killed a great guy named Juan and badly injured another great guy, Milo. Guav Johnson has now posted a tribute on IG about his friend and colleague, Juan. So sad! Prayers for the families and friends! I hope the government of Cameroon takes these poachers more seriously now and sends in the military.

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[Ridge Runner]

Condolences to Juan's family, friends, and coworkers. May he Rest In Pease. It's sad that his loss is so close to Christmas.

Hopes and Prays for a speedy recovery for Milo.

 

[Altitude sickness]

The danger those teams over there are exposed to for the livelihood is 24-7 humans and animals alike. Condolences to his team and family

 

[1dirthawker]

Condolences to Juan's family, friends, and coworkers. May he Rest In Pease. It's sad that his loss is so close to Christmas.

Hopes and Prays for a speedy recovery for Milo.

+1

 

[Nyati]

Bad news, my condolences to all concerned.

 

[375Fox]

Extremely sad to see. He invested a lot of years into Cameroon. I hope it can do some good though and make a permanent change in the poaching situation.

 

[TheGrayRider]

Very sad situation for all. Thoughts and prayers to the families of the deceased and injured persons.

I can’t find the article online. Did this attack happen in the savanna region or the forest region of Cameroon?

 

[Hank2211]

Very sad situation for all. Thoughts and prayers to the families of the deceased and injured persons.

I can’t find the article online. Did this attack happen in the savanna region or the forest region of Cameroon?

Savannah

 

[Fatback]

That’s awful to hear. My prayers are offered to all impacted by this tragedy. Wildlife conservation in many parts of the world is literally a war. Without the efforts of outfitters and their people like the ones in this story and the hunters that book the hunts these wild areas and their animals will be lost forever.

 

[PARA45]

Is self-defense allowed in these situations?

 

[Hunt anything]

I can’t say where but at one time it was shoot on sight and no questions asked.

Is self-defense allowed in these situations?

 

[375Fox]

Is self-defense allowed in these situations?

Anti-poaching there isn’t armed. If they had a military member along with them he’d shoot. The manager likely carried a rifle but there’d be a lot of explaining to do to authorities that might not go well, however in this situation I don’t think that would be a consideration.

 

[BeeMaa]

My condolences to the family and friends of the deceased.

 

[CBH Australia]

Terrible situation and condolences to the families.

Back to the OP comment regarding the military I hope authorities take a swift response to control the problem. A strong stance needs to be taken to protect innocent people

 

[Rakman]

The Savannah area has many risks beyond poachers. It’s sad as I loved my time there but I can see opportunity dwindling in that region as the years go by. Hunting is likely the only thing keeping the region afloat.

 

[JES Adventures]

My condolences to Juan’s family. I had the honor of meeting him in 2016 while hunting the Savannah with Mayo Oldiri. We talked about his anti poaching work which was a constant battle. This is a tragic loss for the wildlife in those areas.

May he Rest in Peace.

 

[DLSJR]

Very sad situation for all. Thoughts and prayers to the families of the deceased and injured persons.

I can’t find the article online. Did this attack happen in the savanna region or the forest region of Cameroon?

This happened on Mayo Nduel, the same unit where I shot my Lord Derby last February. When I was there, Melo and his anti-poaching team were accompanied by one or two soldiers, but the only thing they shot then was cattle illegally grazing on the concession.

Nomadic herders graze their cattle wherever they are and sometimes that’s on the concessions where they are not allowed. As I recall, they shot 3 cattle one day and the herders moved their cattle out. We saw them one night and their herd was huge, possibly 1,000 head. We had to drive through the herd as they were being driven right down the main road and it took forever to get through them. One of the problems is that dead cattle attract hyenas and I was told the hyena population had grown rather large, which impacts game just like the poachers.

Juan and Melo were/are great guys, I liked both of them as soon as I met them. I hope Melo recovers fully, but he’s gonna have a long road as he was shot in the chest and also jaw. RIP, Juan.

 

[VertigoBE]

Horrible news. I hope the criminals will all be caught swiftly and punished severely.

My condolences to his family and friends.

 

[CoElkHunter]

Terrible situation and condolences to the families.

Back to the OP comment regarding the military I hope authorities take a swift response to control the problem. A strong stance needs to be taken to protect innocent people

+1.

 

[Scott CWO]

This happened on Mayo Nduel, the same unit where I shot my Lord Derby last February. When I was there, Melo and his anti-poaching team were accompanied by one or two soldiers, but the only thing they shot then was cattle illegally grazing on the concession.

Nomadic herders graze their cattle wherever they are and sometimes that’s on the concessions where they are not allowed. As I recall, they shot 3 cattle one day and the herders moved their cattle out. We saw them one night and their herd was huge, possibly 1,000 head. We had to drive through the herd as they were being driven right down the main road and it took forever to get through them. One of the problems is that dead cattle attract hyenas and I was told the hyena population had grown rather large, which impacts game just like the poachers.

Juan and Melo were/are great guys, I liked both of them as soon as I met them. I hope Melo recovers fully, but he’s gonna have a long road as he was shot in the chest and also jaw. RIP, Juan.

Dan - thankfully you weren’t there when this tragedy happened!