How has Gorongosa National Park recovered from Mozambiques Civil War?
Over one million people died during Mozambique\u2019s civil war \u2013 which continued from 1977 to 1992. By its end, much of the country\u2019s infrastructure was also gone.
One place which was heavily impacted was Gorongosa National Park \u2013 in the middle of the country \u2013 where virtually all the wild animals were slaughtered for food or for ivory, which was then traded for weapons. Wildebeest and Zebra populations dropped from thousands to less than twenty of each. Elephant numbers decreased by more than 90%. And for the people living there, there were no schools, hospitals or jobs.
But in 2004, the then-president, Joaquim Chissano, appealed to American philanthropist, Greg Carr, to help with the rebuilding of Mozambique - and he chose to concentrate on the park. Now, after 20 years, it\u2019s been transformed.
For today\u2019s Africa Daily Mpho Lakaje finds out more about what\u2019s been called \u2018Africa\u2019s most successful rewilding effort\u2019 with journalist Ish Mafundikwa who\u2019s just visited the project.