As we often do with conservation partners in the field, Conservation Force is serving as the public charity funding conduit for the medical care and recovery of professional hunter Stuart (Stu) Taylor of Kambako Safaris, Mozambique. Kambako is a longstanding partner in our shared Niassa Reserve projects, and Stu is in terrible need of help.
Stu was hunting buffalo in Kambako Safaris’ Block B of the Niassa Reserve, Mozambique. During a Cape buffalo charge, a client tripped and accidentally shot Stu. The .458 solid entered low through Stu’s left shoulder and exited high in the chest/collar bone region.
Stu went through four surgeries in four weeks. He has now been sent home for five weeks and is bed-restricted, as he needs to build up his strength. More worrying is the fact the surgeons will not do any more operations because his heart is under stress, as it was severely bruised from the hydrostatic shock from the gunshot. Once the go-ahead is given when Stu is strong enough, reconstruction surgery will commence. The surgeon has made it very clear that there is a minimum of another four operations required (if all goes well). He has also made it very clear that this recovery is going to take the best part of a year and won’t give any guarantees to how much movement Stu will get back in his shoulder. When this was written, it was close to seven weeks since the accident, and Stu did not have any movement in the shoulder. Those of you who know Stu, know he is a fighter and he is determined to get back into hunting as soon as possible. His medical bills are already well over the million Rand mark ($130,000-plus), and he still has bigger expenses coming in the next year. He and his trackers have lost the majority of this year’s earnings, and it looks like next year’s as well.
Tax deductible, dedicated donations can be made for Stu’s medical care by postal mailing your donation payable to Conservation Force at PO Box 278, Metairie, LA 70004-0278 USA or by credit card on Conservation Force’s website at http://www.conservationforce.org/donate.html. In either case, indicate that the sum is for Stu’s Fund.
