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Dangerous Game Hunting In Tanzania | Cape Buffalo Safari
Hunting in Tanzania still offers one of the last true traditional East African dangerous game hunting experiences, where long tracking days, remote tented camps, and free-range Cape buffalo remain central to the safari itself. During a recent visit to the Lunda Nkwambi concession bordering the Kizigo ecosystem, our team spent several days experiencing firsthand why so many American hunters continue to view Cape buffalo hunting in Tanzania as one of Africa’s classic dangerous game safaris.
While visiting the concession, we had the opportunity to spend time with Mr Chapman, an experienced international hunter from the United States who had booked a traditional free-range Cape buffalo hunt through Game Hunting Safaris. Having recently completed a successful Mount Kilimanjaro climb and previously harvested a Kodiak Brown Bear, this would be his first Cape buffalo hunt in Tanzania.
Travelling from South Africa, we first flew into Dar Es Salaam before continuing onward to Dodoma, the administrative capital of Tanzania. From there, the road transfer into Lunda Nkwambi took roughly four and a half hours depending on road conditions, passing through rural villages, small farming communities, dry river systems, and stretches of classic East African bush country that immediately reminded us how remote this part of Tanzania truly is.
The Lunda Nkwambi hunting concession itself exceeds 400 square miles and feels very much like “old wild Africa.” Massive Baobab trees dominate parts of the landscape while thick riverine bush, dry sandy riverbeds, thorn country, and open clearings create ideal habitat for Cape buffalo and a variety of East African plains game species.
Accommodation in camp consisted of traditional safari tents with comfortable beds, hot water, solar electricity, and a central lodge area overlooking the nearby river system. Unlike some heavily commercialized safari operations elsewhere in Africa, camps in areas such as Lunda still retain much of the classic East African safari atmosphere many hunters travel to Tanzania specifically to experience.
During our stay, wildlife sightings around camp were constant. In the mornings we regularly encountered plains game including East African Impala, Zebra, Giraffe, Kudu, and various gazelle species moving through the surrounding bushveld. Troops of Olive Monkeys caused their usual chaos around camp while fresh tracks along the riverbanks reminded everyone that this was genuine Big 5 country.
As darkness settled over the concession each evening, the atmosphere changed completely. Lions could often be heard calling in the distance while buffalo, elephant, hyena, and other game moved through the surrounding river systems under cover of darkness. Tanzania remains one of the last true wilderness destinations for hunters pursuing classic East African safaris, with both lion hunting in Tanzania and elephant hunting in Tanzania still regarded amongst the most authentic dangerous game experiences available anywhere in Africa.
Walking the sandy riverbeds the following mornings revealed fresh spoor from Spotted Hyena, Honey Badger, buffalo, and several large cats that had passed through camp during the night. Every morning brought fresh excitement, reminding us just how wild and untamed these remote hunting concessions truly are.
Mr Chapman hunted Cape buffalo the traditional way — on foot, in thick cover, following fresh spoor through the river systems and dense brush where visibility could change within seconds. Carrying a .375 H&H, the hunt proved to be both physically demanding and mentally intense. The initial shot placement was not ideal, and what followed were two additional days of difficult tracking through heat, thorn country, and heavy cover before Mr Chapman finally delivered the finishing shot on an outstanding old Cape buffalo bull.
Like many traditional dangerous game safaris in Tanzania, the experience served as a reminder that Cape buffalo hunting is rarely predictable. Conditions can be tough, tracking can be long, and wounded buffalo often require patience, discipline, and careful teamwork between hunter, trackers, and Professional Hunter.
For hunters searching for a traditional East African dangerous game safari, Cape buffalo hunting in Tanzania still offers one of Africa’s most authentic hunting experiences. From tracking old Dugga boys through remote river systems to spending evenings in classic tented camps surrounded by lion calls and fresh buffalo spoor, Lunda Nkwambi remains a concession that captures much of what hunters imagine when they think about old Africa.