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From Graveyard to Paradise: Zinave's Astonishing Rewilding
7 Oct
Summary
- Zinave National Park lost nearly all wildlife during a 16-year civil war.
- Rewilding efforts since 2016 have reintroduced 37 rhinos and other species.
- The park has become Mozambique's first 'Big Five' park after lion sightings.
Zinave National Park, once decimated by a 16-year civil war that led to widespread poaching for bushmeat, is experiencing a remarkable revival. This conflict left the park's landscape virtually devoid of wildlife. However, rewilding initiatives, which commenced in 2016, have begun to restore its biodiversity.
Since 2022, 37 rhinos, including critically endangered black rhinos, have been reintroduced to the park. These efforts, supported by various international donors and organizations like Peace Parks Foundation and Exxaro Resources, aim to establish a viable rhino population. Ranger teams, equipped with advanced technology and surveillance systems, provide robust protection against poaching, with no rhinos lost in the two years since their reintroduction.
The return of keystone species such as elephants, which act as 'architects of the land,' has visibly changed the ecosystem. The confirmed presence of lions in August 2021, the first in over 40 years, has designated Zinave as Mozambique's first 'Big Five' park. These conservation successes are part of a larger vision to link multiple national parks across southern Africa into a vast transboundary conservation area.
