Men and animals in conflict in Gorongosa

Conflicts between humans and animals and disagreements with management of the Gorongosa National Park impede the surrounding population to carry out agricultural activities and hunting for consumption.

The situation disrupts some of the ongoing projects in this important reserve, which is receiving many investments to restore the region's biodiversity.

The population demands the there should be no prohibition for cutting trees for construction of houses,opening fields and hunting game animals for consumption.

"We want the previous demarcations.

My father, before he died, told me that he would ascend to the throne(as chief) of the region, and showed me the real limits of this area,only surprisingly these boundaries are no longer being observed",complained one chief from Mwanza.

Management of Gorongosa Park is carrying out several programs to recover some areas that once belonged to the reservation and they were occupied by the population during the armed conflict that lasted 16 years.

Moçambique - Sofala - Gorongoza.

Moçambique - Sofala - Gorongoza.

Moçambique - Sofala - Gorongoza:River Pungoe

Girassol Gorongosa Safari and logde,Mozambique,AFRICA

The Girassol Gorongosa Lodge and Safari is located in the Sofala province, in the central area of Mozambique, at the south limit area of the Great African Rift Valley, within the 4000 km2 area of the Gorongosa National Park. The installations include bungalows and villas, a camping area, a restaurant, swimming pools, a gift shop, children area, multi-functional meeting room with a capacity up to 140 people, a vast network of trails for safaris, as well as walking areas and gardens. Gorongosa, which is a privileged destination for those who enjoy the natural life, is a region with a vast diversity of fauna and flora with unique environmental characteristics. Here is located the Girassol Gorongosa Lodge and Safari, which is committed to preserve the ecological integrity as well as the participation of the local communities.

Moçambique - Niassa - Metangula .Chidren playing on the shores of lake Niassa

Lioness in Gorongoza national park

Maputo Elephant reserve

The Maputo Elephant Reserve, north of Ponta Malongane, is a 50 000 hectare mosaic of lakes, floodplains, mangrove swamps, woodlands and forested dunes sweeping down to unspoilt beaches. The Reserve was once a sanctuary to large herds of elephant, white rhino and a variety of other game species, but poaching during the civil war reduced animal numbers considerably. The entire white rhino population of 65 animals, introduced from the iMfolozi Game Reserve in South Africa's KwaZulu- Natal province in 1967 was wiped out, while the elephant population decreased from an estimated 350 in 1971 to a mere 120 by the late 1980's. The Rio Futi provides an ecological link with the Tembe area in northern KwaZulu-Natal and for centuries the fossil river has been used as a migration route by elephants. During the winter months, the breeding herds congregate with their calves in the vicinity of the park headquarters before migrating southwards. Fearing that the elephants would be wiped out completely, KwaZulu-Natalconservation authorities fenced off the northern boundary of the Tembe Elephant Park in 1989. Since 1994 the Endangered Wildlife Trust has provided considerable financial support to the National Directorate of Forestry and Wildlife to rehabilitate the reserve. The programme included educating the local population that the area is a reserve, halting, poaching, training game guards and repairing tourism facilities. Game numbers are increasing again and the Reserve's elephant population currently numbers around 200, while the Tembe Elephant Park is estimated at between 130 and 140 animals. although their spoor and dung are frequently seen, the elephants are elusive and difficult to track down in the dense bush. Other animals you chance spotting include hippo, crocodile, nyala, red duiker, suni, vervet monkey and reedbuck. The Reserve offers excellent opportunities for bird watching as several species reach the southern limit of their distribution in northern KwaZulu-Natal. Among these are Rudd's Apalis,

Limpopo National park