3,000 WILD ANIMALS

Over the next five years three thousand wild animals will be moved to Mozambique’s national parks and nature reserves. The restocking is part of a programme to increase the number of tourists taking safaris in the country.The process will begin with the transfer of 200 nyalas, 100 impalas, and 30 hippopotami from the Sabi Game Reserve in neighbouring South Africa to the Maputo Special Reserve.According to a source in the National Administration of Conservation Areas (ANAC),”we are in the final stage in the process of acquiring import licences from the National Veterinary Services. We are also requesting an exemption from customs duties from the relevant authority”.Maputo Special Reserve (which was formerly known as the Maputo Elephant Reserve) is located in the south of Mozambique. It was created in 1932 and is composed of coastal dunes, mangrove swamps, woodland, and lakes. Among the animals found in the reserve are elephants, pangolins, red squirrels, crocodiles, hippopotami, nyalas, red duikers, sunis, vervet monkeys and reedbucks.Agostinho Nazare, the director of conservation services and community development, told AIM that, between 2017 and 2021, 

ANAC will also oversee the transfer to the Zinave National Park of 300 zebras, 1,000 impalas, 65 waterbucks, 150 elands, 50 kudus, 200 buffaloes, 90 giraffes, and 250 elephants. These have been identified as species which are important to maintain a natural equilibrium in the environment.Zinave National Park is in Mabote district, in the southern province of Inhambane. It was initially set up in 1962 as a hunting area but was transformed into a national park in 1972. It covers an area of 400,000 hectares and is part of the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Park.The park’s administrator Pedro Pereira added that, in parallel with the restocking of animals, several other upgrades are being implemented. This includes the construction of new tourist accommodation and the introduction of surveillance systems to improve wildlife management.In recent years, the park has received stock from the Kruger National Park under an accord signed between Mozambique and South Africa to make Zinave a more attractive tourist destination. As a result, the park received zebras, impalas, buffalos and elephants.Mozambique has 12 conservation areas, including parks and reserves, which cover about a quarter of the national territory.