Parque Nacional da Gorongosa Moçambique

Zoo Boise Supports Elephant Relocation to Gorongosa

Jun 25, 2009 - Boise, Idaho, USA

On April 9, 2009, Zoo Boise launched its partnership with the Carr Foundation to support elephant relocations into Gorongosa National Park.  At an event for Jane Goodall, Zoo Boise sold stuffed animal elephants for $10 each with the hopes of raising $10,000 for Gorongosa’s wildlife reintroduction program.  That evening alone raised $7000 for the project.  The stuffed elephants are now available at the zoo gift shop and online.

In 2009, the Carr Foundation plans to bring a small family herd of 10-12 elephants to Gorongosa from South Africa’s Kruger National Park to help rebuild their presence in the Park.  The translocation will cost $40,000 to complete.  

In 1972, prior to the Mozambique’s civil war, the Park was home to the densest mammal population in all of Africa, including an estimated 2,200 elephants. During and after the war, the mammal population decreased by 95 percent; elephants were poached, and ivory was sold to buy weapons for both sides of the conflict. In 1994, two years after the end of the civil war, a wildlife survey found only an estimated 100 elephants left in the Park.

Increased political stability and increased protection from poaching has allowed Gorongosa’s elephant population to rebound to an estimated 300 individuals in 2007 – a remarkable recovery in just over a decade, but still possibly insufficient to sustain elephants in the Park over the long term. Moving wildlife is expensive and challenging, but it can be an effective and humane way to support struggling wildlife populations. Other wildlife reintroductions to the Park have included wildebeest, buffalo, and hippo.  The relocation of elephants to Gorongosa National Park will boost the elephant population in the Park and may also increase the genetic diversity of its elephant population. The relocated elephants will be monitored closely to ensure that they are adapting well to their new environment.

“Gorongosa is a unique case,” Zoo Boise Director Steve Burns said. “It is a habitat that is largely intact, just in need of animals. The best part: when you buy a toy elephant, you'll leave your name and e-mail. Zoo Boise and the Carr Foundation will keep you up-to-date on the elephants' progress, sharing news, videos, and more.”

The growing conservation partnership between Zoo Boise and the Carr Foundation’s Gorongosa Restoration Project also includes funding support for a study of Gorongosa’s lion population.  Gorongosa won a Zoo Boise Conservation Fund Grant in December to study the lack of growth in the lion population due to possible disease, inbreeding, or other reasons and to pay for a team of scouts to protect the lions from poachers.