Here is the body of the Press Release sent out by UWA. This happened yesterday.


SPORT HUNTER KILLED BY BUFFALO IN KARENGA COMMUNITY WILDLIFE AREA
Kampala, February 4, 2025 – Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) deeply regrets to announce
the unfortunate passing of Mr. Frank Stuart Cox, an American sport hunter following a tragic
wildlife encounter in Karenga Community Wildlife Area (KCWA), which is located outside
Kidepo Valley National Park. The incident happened in the afternoon on February 3, 2025.
During a scheduled sport hunting expedition, a team consisting of Mr. Frank Stuart Cox, and
Mr. Trappe Mini Rudolf Francis, both American citizens, a UWA ranger, and a UPDF officer
encountered a group of five buffaloes. One buffalo was shot but retreated into a nearby
thicket. Upon being located again, it charged at the group, fatally goring Mr. Frank Stuart
Cox, and seriously injuring Mr. Trappe Mini Rudolf Francis The buffalo was subsequently
neutralized.
Emergency evacuation procedures were initiated immediately, and the victims were
transported to the Kidepo National Park airstrip for airlifting to Kampala. Unfortunately, Mr.
Frank Stuart Coxs succumbed to injuries before the aircraft arrived. Mr. Tappe was
successfully transported to Kampala for further medical attention.
The incident was reported to police in Karenga, and investigations are ongoing. The
deceased’s remains have been transferred to Mulago Hospital City Mortuary for post-mortem
examination.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the deceased and remain
committed to ensuring the highest safety standards in wildlife activities. We also wish Mr.
Trappe a swift recovery.
ENDS.
About Karenga Community Wildlife Area (KCWA)
KCWA is a designated conservation area located outside Kidepo Valley National Park in
Karenga District. It is managed by local communities, Karenga District Local Government,
and Uganda Wildlife Safaris which has a sport hunting concession with UWA. The area serves
as a vital buffer zone for wildlife dispersal and sustainable utilization. It supports diverse
wildlife species, including buffaloes, antelopes, elephants, and cats, and provides
opportunities for regulated activities such as sport hunting and ecotourism.

RIP.

It's always a possibility. My condolences to his family and friends.

RIP

Interesting that no PH was listed in the hunting party…

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:
Interesting that no PH was listed in the hunting party…

But it does list the safari company. A reputable company at that.

Mini Trappe from TZ

Sorry to hear this.

This report drives home the point that Cape buffalo hunting can be mortally dangerous and that making the first shot count is critically important.

But it also raises as many questions as it answers.

Having hunted there, the buffalo were pretty unconcerned about people. That tends to make them less likely to run off.

Buffalo hunting does have the element of danger when things don't go right...

Rest in peace.

Very sad to hear this.

But, it is part of hunting!

Just spoke with a PH that guided in the same area when Jumbo Moore was Christian’s partner. He said that the PH that was injured in the attack was apparently doing better and in stable condition. A bit of good news coming out of horrible situation.

Sorry to hear. Prayers to him and his family. Don't know the circumstances but we all know it can happen and that's why we do it.

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:
Interesting that no PH was listed in the hunting party…

Mini Trappe.

Member of the Rolf & Ricky Trappe clan from Arusha.

Tragic. RIP Mr Cox and best recovery to Mini!

Mini is doing better today.

.

RIP.

Dangerous Game hunting is exactly that - Dangerous Game.

Wishing the PH a speedy recovery.

.

Fulvio,

Interesting. Hope he recovers soon.

quote:

Originally posted by lavaca:
Fulvio,

Interesting. Hope he recovers soon.

I have just been informed that Mini is on the road to recovery.

Herewith a link to the history of a remarkable family:

https://legendsandlegaciesofaf.../margaretetrappe.php

I hunted Uganda with Mini last year, and he is one of the most capable PH's I have ever hunted with. We actually did a number of followups together, and he is the kind of guy you want with you when the crap hits the fan. I was supposed to hunt with him again in 3 weeks.

I spoke to him via WhatsApp the day of the accident when he arrived at the hospital, and he was in good spirits, and all reports are he is recovering from the surgery and doing well. Prayers with him and the family of the client. Mini is as tough as they come.

Wow on the hunter going out on his last hunt.

Something that my wife is always concerned about when I travel. She makes sure that I have all my life insurance and banking information available in case it is needed.

Wishing the PH a good recovery.

We AR (our hunting members) be putting something together to assist the PH while he is recovering?

I understand the company has issued a detailed report of this incident.

Anyone knows and can post it!

Interesting, medevac demanded payment before flight, wow
Then another thing I find odd, taking apart rifle every night
Anyway, hunting and shit happens and unfortunately life was lost
RIP to the hunter and speed recovery to the PH

A very sad story.

I wonder why the client would take his rifle apart every evening??

What rifle was it?

I NEVER, EVER, clean my rifle in camp.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
A very sad story.

I wonder why the client would take his rifle apart every evening??

What rifle was it?

I NEVER, EVER, clean my rifle in camp.

I wholeheartedly agree with you Saeed
Seems kinda not so bright move
Dirt in camp, no controlled environment etc.
In military, that’d be another story but in camp for two week ?
Strange …

Just heard from Mini - out of ICU and feeling much stronger

What a calamity of tragedies:

Older Client w pacemaker takes boss to the chest;

PH’s double appears to stop the bull only for it to regain as he is reloading and can’t get one in before the bull gets home;

PH too close to client (no one’s fault) during to get a shot while bull hooks client;

Clients bolt action breaks;

PH manages to survive, keeps it together and kills the bull.

Just about everything that makes the legends of Dangerous Game and Buffalo in Africa happened on this hunt.


The PH with a bolt w 3-5 shots could have kept the bull on the ground when the first two slowed the bull. Yet, the magazine rifle is broke and no second barrel and trigger.


I think the danger factor should not be overstated, but lately the seriousness of the endeavor has been glossed over, understated.

quote:

Originally posted by LHeym500:



The PH with a bolt w 3-5 shots could have kept the bull on the ground when the first two slowed the bull. Yet, the magazine rifle is broke and no second barrel and trigger.

With a bolt gun the PH would likely have only gotten off 1 shot, not 2. Myles from CMS got hit late 23 by a buff in a similar situation. He only got 1 shot with his bolt rifle before the bull hit him in the chest and knocked him out.

The report says the bull kicked the rifle out of the PH's hands. With the rifle on the ground, having a 3rd round in the mag wouldn't have mattered. In fact, if the rifle had been kicked out of his hands after only 1 shot, things could have been even worse than it is.

Shit happens fast in one of these charges.

For the life of me I can't figure why the client cleaned his rifle to the point of stripping the firing pin every night.

One last comment. Why insist on finishing the bull instead of allowing the PH to help. If the situation is that dangerous, let the PH do his job.

quote:

Originally posted by Todd Williams:

quote:

Originally posted by LHeym500:



The PH with a bolt w 3-5 shots could have kept the bull on the ground when the first two slowed the bull. Yet, the magazine rifle is broke and no second barrel and trigger.

With a bolt gun the PH would likely have only gotten off 1 shot, not 2. Myles from CMS got hit late 23 by a buff in a similar situation. He only got 1 shot with his bolt rifle before the bull hit him in the chest and knocked him out.

The report says the bull kicked the rifle out of the PH's hands. With the rifle on the ground, having a 3rd round in the mag wouldn't have mattered. In fact, if the rifle had been kicked out of his hands after only 1 shot, things could have been even worse than it is.

Shit happens fast in one of these charges.

For the life of me I can't figure why the client cleaned his rifle to the point of stripping the firing pin every night.

One last comment. Why insist on finishing the bull instead of allowing the PH to help. If the situation is that dangerous, let the PH do his job.

Bingo

Prayers and condolences to his family and friends.

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:

quote:

Originally posted by Todd Williams:

quote:

Originally posted by LHeym500:



The PH with a bolt w 3-5 shots could have kept the bull on the ground when the first two slowed the bull. Yet, the magazine rifle is broke and no second barrel and trigger.

With a bolt gun the PH would likely have only gotten off 1 shot, not 2. Myles from CMS got hit late 23 by a buff in a similar situation. He only got 1 shot with his bolt rifle before the bull hit him in the chest and knocked him out.

The report says the bull kicked the rifle out of the PH's hands. With the rifle on the ground, having a 3rd round in the mag wouldn't have mattered. In fact, if the rifle had been kicked out of his hands after only 1 shot, things could have been even worse than it is.

Shit happens fast in one of these charges.

For the life of me I can't figure why the client cleaned his rifle to the point of stripping the firing pin every night.

One last comment. Why insist on finishing the bull instead of allowing the PH to help. If the situation is that dangerous, let the PH do his job.

Bingo

The ph was reloading as the bull closed so yeah he could have got 1 maybe one more to finish him after the first two put it down but not out. The PH shot the bull to the ground, but it got up as he was reloading the double. He could have just kept limping him, got the spine shot in w a magazine once he shot the bull to the ground w the first two.

The client had a double and one barrel not work he could have moved to the second trigger.

Just everything that could go wrong did. All the troupes are present.

It is not uncommon to bring the hunter up on the sticks to finish the Hunter’s bull once the bull is relocated. The PH fired when the client could not. He just did not get the CNS. There is no shame there. The bill was stopped inbound, but got back yo w the PH empty and the client w a broken rifle.

quote:

Originally posted by LHeym500:

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:

quote:

Originally posted by Todd Williams:

quote:

Originally posted by LHeym500:



The PH with a bolt w 3-5 shots could have kept the bull on the ground when the first two slowed the bull. Yet, the magazine rifle is broke and no second barrel and trigger.

With a bolt gun the PH would likely have only gotten off 1 shot, not 2. Myles from CMS got hit late 23 by a buff in a similar situation. He only got 1 shot with his bolt rifle before the bull hit him in the chest and knocked him out.

The report says the bull kicked the rifle out of the PH's hands. With the rifle on the ground, having a 3rd round in the mag wouldn't have mattered. In fact, if the rifle had been kicked out of his hands after only 1 shot, things could have been even worse than it is.

Shit happens fast in one of these charges.

For the life of me I can't figure why the client cleaned his rifle to the point of stripping the firing pin every night.

One last comment. Why insist on finishing the bull instead of allowing the PH to help. If the situation is that dangerous, let the PH do his job.

Bingo

The ph was reloading as the bull closed so yeah he could have got 1 maybe one more to finish him after the first two put it down but not out. The PH shot the bull to the ground, but it got up as he was reloading the double. He could have just kept limping him, got the spine shot in w a magazine once he shot the bull to the ground w the first two.

The client had a double and one barrel not work he could have moved to the second trigger.

Just everything that could go wrong did. All the troupes are present.

It is not uncommon to bring the hunter up on the sticks to finish the Hunter’s bull once the bull is relocated. The PH fired when the client could not. He just did not get the CNS. There is no shame there. The bill was stopped inbound, but got back yo w the PH empty and the client w a broken rifle.

There are those who have been there and done that and those whom haven't. Evidently, you are of the former.

I will defer to your obvious extensive buffalo and dangerous game hunting experience.

quote:

Originally posted by Todd Williams:

quote:

Originally posted by LHeym500:

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:

quote:

Originally posted by Todd Williams:

quote:

Originally posted by LHeym500:



The PH with a bolt w 3-5 shots could have kept the bull on the ground when the first two slowed the bull. Yet, the magazine rifle is broke and no second barrel and trigger.

With a bolt gun the PH would likely have only gotten off 1 shot, not 2. Myles from CMS got hit late 23 by a buff in a similar situation. He only got 1 shot with his bolt rifle before the bull hit him in the chest and knocked him out.

The report says the bull kicked the rifle out of the PH's hands. With the rifle on the ground, having a 3rd round in the mag wouldn't have mattered. In fact, if the rifle had been kicked out of his hands after only 1 shot, things could have been even worse than it is.

Shit happens fast in one of these charges.

For the life of me I can't figure why the client cleaned his rifle to the point of stripping the firing pin every night.

One last comment. Why insist on finishing the bull instead of allowing the PH to help. If the situation is that dangerous, let the PH do his job.

Bingo

The ph was reloading as the bull closed so yeah he could have got 1 maybe one more to finish him after the first two put it down but not out. The PH shot the bull to the ground, but it got up as he was reloading the double. He could have just kept limping him, got the spine shot in w a magazine once he shot the bull to the ground w the first two.

The client had a double and one barrel not work he could have moved to the second trigger.

Just everything that could go wrong did. All the troupes are present.

It is not uncommon to bring the hunter up on the sticks to finish the Hunter’s bull once the bull is relocated. The PH fired when the client could not. He just did not get the CNS. There is no shame there. The bill was stopped inbound, but got back yo w the PH empty and the client w a broken rifle.

There are those who have been there and done that and those whom haven't. Evidently, you are of the former.

I will defer to your obvious extensive buffalo and dangerous game hunting experience.

Hi Todd -

Hope you're well. I'll just comment that from my experience of perhaps 15-18 buffalo, There are no single cookie cutter situations on stalking, shooting and following up Buffalo.

Every one was different, every one was memorable and fun. Some more exciting than others.

I think that's the draw for me. The not knowing.

I 100% agree with you Steve. They have all been different in my experience as well. And yes, it's what brings me back over and over.

I've shot them with double rifles and bolt guns ranging from 375, 416, 500NE, and 577NE. By far, I feel better with a double in hand, and have never felt a disadvantage for shots 3 and especially 4.

My main comments on this event, other than to say it's a very tragic situation, are to question the client stripping the bolt to that level for cleaning during the hunt each night at camp. It just doesn't seem necessary unless the rifle was dropped in the mud or covered in sand for some reason. But to each his own. As Larry pointed out, if that was his habit, interrupting that habit may have been a larger issue.

I've followed a couple of wounded buff unfortunately. Posted a video of one back in 2012 that ran me and Blake Wilhemi around the jess for a couple of hours in ever tightening circles and really got our attention on high alert, only to take 6 or 7 additional pokes from my 577NE to finally put him down for good. You know how they can be once they get the adrenalin flowing!!

One thing I've never done, and never will, is to insist on the PH not shooting if he deems necessary. So far, I've not had a PH fire a round, but that's just been the luck of the draw so far. If my PH thinks is necessary to shoot, I've got no problem with it as they are the pro!

There is plenty of guys even on here that said in the past that they don’t want PH to back them up
Could be one of these situations
One time me and PH put seven bullets into an old buff til he quit
Every time we hit him he spun around and put his head down to charge

quote:

Originally posted by Todd Williams:
I 100% agree with you Steve. They have all been different in my experience as well. And yes, it's what brings me back over and over.

I've shot them with double rifles and bolt guns ranging from 375, 416, 500NE, and 577NE. By far, I feel better with a double in hand, and have never felt a disadvantage for shots 3 and especially 4.

My main comments on this event, other than to say it's a very tragic situation, are to question the client stripping the bolt to that level for cleaning during the hunt each night at camp. It just doesn't seem necessary unless the rifle was dropped in the mud or covered in sand for some reason. But to each his own. As Larry pointed out, if that was his habit, interrupting that habit may have been a larger issue.

I've followed a couple of wounded buff unfortunately. Posted a video of one back in 2012 that ran me and Blake Wilhemi around the jess for a couple of hours in ever tightening circles and really got our attention on high alert, only to take 6 or 7 additional pokes from my 577NE to finally put him down for good. You know how they can be once they get the adrenalin flowing!!

One thing I've never done, and never will, is to insist on the PH not shooting if he deems necessary. So far, I've not had a PH fire a round, but that's just been the luck of the draw so far. If my PH thinks is necessary to shoot, I've got no problem with it as they are the pro!

I've known guys who are anal about complete rifle disassembly and cleaning, to the point of being fanatical. Most I know developed that habit from being range rats, putting lots of shots down-range, per session.

Specially the PRS long range guys.

My comments to you were really directed at your response to LHeym500. Predicting the outcome, or criticizing the methods on a Buffalo hunt that none of us know the circumstances of isn't possible. They are all different, very different at times.

Steve, I don't remember predicting the outcome or criticizing the methods on a buff hunt other than stating my opinion that the client breaking down the bolt action each night is not required, and in this case, evidently contributed significantly to getting himself killed when it failed to fire.

As to the PH and outcome predictions, I simply responded to a guy here on AR with ZERO DG experience proclaiming that if the PH had had a bolt rifle instead of a double, he could have put a 3rd round into the beast and kept him down. Again, I'm not predicting anything but rather expressing my opinion from the description of the follow up that's been posted here, that if the PH got hit after shot 2 from his double and the rifle was knocked from his hands, he would likely not have been able to get a third shot off. Maybe he could have, but it doesn't sound like it.

The client telling the PH he can't shoot during a wounded buffalo follow up certainly doesn't seem to have been the best course of action.

Back when I was a professional pilot, the aviation safety guys always identified links in the chain of events that could have prevented a mishap. In my opinion, the PH having a DR vs Bolt rifle is a non starter. Plenty of dangerous game animals are taken with both types and no incidents. On the other hand, the client's gun not being functional after cleaning and insisting the PH not shoot during follow up of a wounded buff are a couple of chain links that stand out like a sore thumb to me.

So often the case when things turn to custard, it's not just one big reason but a chain of little things, one mistake leading to another. If the PHs first shot had been an inch or two to the side and crushed the CNS this would just have been another report of a PH saving the day. Just bad luck for a great PH and not a bad way to go for the client nearing the end of his hunting career. I'm in no hurry to die on a buffaloes horns but I would prefer it to cancer or dementia.
Lesson one. If your gun ain't broke don't fix it! Lesson two. If your PH feels like shooting don't dissuade him.

A tragic event for all concerned. I can't get to grips with what happened with the clients gun. Presuming the gun that failed on the follow up was the same gun the client used to take the shot that wounded the buffalo, therefore the gun did fire at least one shot 'since' the client stripped it down to clean the night before. I cannot see that any Mauser type bolt, whatever the brand, would fire any shot if it was not assembled correctly; the firing pin obviously cocked and was held by the trigger sear until the first round was fired to wound the buffalo in the first place.
If the cocking piece was not correctly screwed or pinned to the bolt it is difficult to imagine that the bolt could be inserted into the rifle, feed a round into the chamber, lock, cock and fire.

Maybe the rifle was a straight pull variety of some sort?

I dm not blaming anyone.

I just can’t get sliced how everything that could go wrong did. Had the client’s right not broke, this bull probably does not get home.

The PG laid in there and did his job. Just amazing everything went wrong.

It is not the client’s fault that he wanted to finish his bull, and was put on the sticks to do so. That is common practice. The bull charged when he could not fire.

The PH did the right thing by shooting obviously. The PH got two shots in, shot the bull to the ground, and was empty. A 3rd or 4 shot in those seconds between the bull being shot down and getting up could have prevented this, but the magazine rifle was inoperable.

A lot had to go wrong for this to happen.

I remember on Boddington for Buffalo II Berry Duckworth is quoted. “You might get your first two shots off before me, but when the 3rd and 4th shot comes, that is where this (his 458 WM) has counted.”

It is a factor to think about, but a double gives you one when the first is inoperable.

Again, it just amazes me that everything that could go wrong did. Not the PH’s fault, maybe not the Client’s fault as the ride sounds to have suffered a failure cleaning should not cause, the buff just got all the way.

A bigger caliber/cartridge may kill one quicker from a viral hit, but I do not believe one can turn or stop a bull with any kind of hope. Only destroying the CNS can be counted on to make the difference between a good story and a horror.

Again, that is not a critique of the PH.

I do not read the report the client insisted the PH not shoot. The Client came w and was put on sticks to finish his bull. The PG fired when the situation got dangerous and the Client could not.

That is common to put the client on the sticks to finish the bill w the PH their to help if needed.