Gorongosa National Park

Gorongosa National Park - known in the 1960's as the place where "Noah left his Ark" because of the vast herds of game - was ravaged during the civil war in Mozambique. While the dramatic and diverse landscape remained largely untouched, the animal life was severely depleted. In 2005, Greg Carr, an American philanthropist discovered Gorongosa National Park and started a 20 year programme to restore the park to its former glory. In January 2008, Greg Carr and his foundation signed a 20 year agreement with the Government of Mozambique to protect and restore the ecosystem of Gorongosa National Park and to develop an ecotourism industry to benefit local communities for the next 20 years.

The restoration project is in full swing, with 90% of the conservation arm of the project being about protecting the park and its wildlife and about 10% being about relocating some of the large herbivores and predators that were largely shot out during the civil war. It is already amazing to see how the animal numbers are on the increase year on year.

Gorongosa boasts some real specials in the wildlife department - huge herds of 60+ sable can be seen on the floodplains, groups of 6-7 bushpig (sometimes during the day), 17 different species of antelope, the largest population of crocodile, waterbuck and oribi in southern Africa and the birding is phenomenal! Palm nut vultures, narina trogons, southern banded snake eagles, collared palm thrush, skimmers and the green headed oriole (on the mountain) are all seen on a regular basis in the park.

This isn't the Masai Mara - yet - but it is a remarkable wilderness area, with 54 different biomes, and ever changing landscapes. The plains recall images of Busanga Plains in Zambia - the Sand Forests northern KwaZulu Natal, while the Gorongosa Mountains and Lake Urema are evocative images in this 400 000 hectare park.