Parque Nacional da Gorongosa Moçambique

The Restoration of Gorongosa Park: re-population process begins with 54 Buffalo from Kruger Park

Aug 1, 2006 - Gorongosa National Park

The re-population of Gorongosa National Park in the center of Mozambique is one of the world's great conservation opportunities. Gorongosa is a region with a great diversity of species and ecological characteristics that are impossible to find in any other place.

This combination of unique characteristics once sustained one of the densest populations of wildlife in all of Africa, including charismatic carnivores, herbivores and close to 500 species of birds. But the number of large mammals was reduced by more than 95% and the ecosystems were greatly affected by the continuous practice of poaching and by the nearly 16 years of civil unrest in Mozambique.

As part of the scope of the Park Restoration Project the anti-poaching team was overhauled and the Park's tourist infrastructures were rebuilt. Biological monitoring has been put into place, including a count of the large herbivores, a survey of carnivores, a survey of fish and a map of the vegetation. A permanent biological research center will be created at the Park that will not only promote scientific understanding, but also provide training and job opportunities for the citizens of Mozambique. During the course of the year 2006, large numbers of the large grazing animal's triad (zebra/gnu/buffalo) will be reintroduced, which were responsible for maintaining the Gorongosa ecosystem in the past.

The first reintroduction will take place next week already, with 54 buffalo from Kruger Park which will travel by land between Skukuza and Gorongosa National Park. The reintroduction plan anticipates that by 2015 several thousand buffalo, zebras and gnus, as well as hundreds of elephants, hippos, kudus, and elands will be reintroduced. The reintroduction of white and black rhinos is anticipated as soon as there are safe conditions for this type of animal.