The Zinave National Park, in southern Mozambique, counted more than 5,000 animals last year, announced the administrator, highlighting the strengthening of enforcement to curb poaching within that conservation area.
“We are noticing that the population is growing. Last year we conducted an aerial, symbolic count, where, approximately, we have more than 5,000 animals within the system, that is very good,” said the administrator of that park in the Inhambane Province today.
According to Abacar, the park now hosts more than 16 species, including Africa’s “Big Five” – lion, buffalo, leopard, elephant and rhinoceros – the result of an effort to repopulate and conserve biodiversity, associated with the decline in poaching cases.
“In relation to hunting, it is minimal at this moment. We do not have the presence of large-caliber weapons inside the system either. Lately, we have found homemade weapons, but it is increasingly reducing, because we have already done a great job in previous years, I am talking about 2018 and 2019, in raising awareness among communities, where there was voluntary surrender of weapons,” he explained.
For the Zinave park administrator, currently forest exploitation is the major problem that concerns the authorities of that conservation area, especially the slaughter of “specific species” such as the chanfuta tree.
“This concerns us a lot. We are working on this with the communities,” noted António Abacar.
The Mozambican Zinave National Park received nine white rhinos from South Africa to restore the balance of ecosystems, as announced on Sunday by the National Administration of Conservation Areas (ANAC).
“By returning the white rhinos Zinave is not only ensuring the future of a key species, but also restoring the balance of ecosystems, creating investment opportunities within the wildlife economy, promoting the development of local communities and demonstrating what is possible when partners work together for nature,” said Pejul Calenga, the general director of ANAC, quoted in the note.
According to ANAC, the animals were donated to Zinave National Park as part of a rhinoceros reintroduction program, in a “complex cross-border conservation operation” carried out by the Mozambican agency, Exxaro Resources and Peace Parks Foundation, with the support of South Africa’s Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment.
Zinave National Park is the only park in Mozambique that has the “Big Five.” There you can also find, among other animals, crocodiles, giraffes, warthogs, bushbucks, hippos, impalas, kudus, nyalas, oribi, baboons, pivas, elands and zebras.
The park also hosts more than 200 tree species and 200 grass species and covers 408,000 hectares, having been requalified after the Mozambican civil war, which lasted 16 years.
According to data from the Ministry of Land and Environment, Mozambique has 12 national parks and protected areas, with 5,500 species of flora and 4,271 species of terrestrial wildlife.
