Savannah in Cameroon

Mayo Oldiri Safaris have a total of five different hunting concessions in the savannah of northern Cameroon, lying between the two National parks, Bouba Ndjida and Le Benoue, circa a 4 hour drive from Garoua. Fly to Douala and then you take a domestic flight to Garoua.

The hunting season in the savannah is from Christmas until the end of May, but we recommend that you hunt in the period from mid-January to the start of April, when the high grass has been burnt off, and the new shoots are beginning to appear. As everywhere else in the world, this season gives you the best chances of seeing the game, which -naturally enough - will be moving around a great deal.

At this time of year the daytime temperatures are around 35°C while at night the temperature is 22°C. As the climate is dry, it feels hot but not uncomfortable.

The five hunting concessions, Mayo Oldiri, Mayo Nduell, Mayo Vaimba, Rey Bouba and Djibao cover a total area of 420,000 ha. Relative to the size of the districts and number of game animals, the hunting pressure here is usually rather modest, and so  trophy quality is generally very good. The terrain varies from district to district, but is generally gently hilly woodland together with more open areas. The choice of hunting district is dependent on which species you are prioritising. On a 2 week safari you will often hunt on two different districts.

Even though a number of narrow roads have been laid down in the hunting districts, you can count on having to cover long distances on foot on some days. It is therefore an advantage to be reasonably fit. The success rate for Giant Eland over the last few years has been 100%, and the same is true for buffalo and roan.