Sep 8, 2026 |
The French organisation François Sommer intends to maintain its presence in Gilé National Park and is awaiting the renewal of the co-management agreement for the period from 2026 to 2035.
The information was shared by Gilé National Park when it presented the figures from the Fondation François Sommer's 2025 Activity Report. The institution has co-managed this 439 000-hectare protected area since 2007 in partnership with the National Administration of Conservation Areas (ANAC).
The same source states that Gilé is on the list of 162 protected areas considered essential for conservation at the scale of the African continent, according to an assessment by Conservation International and Nature Africa, the latter linked to the European Commission. The park's miombo woodland provides vital resources such as timber, food and medicinal plants to around 18 000 people living on its periphery.
Large mammal populations have been increasing steadily, with 5 733 direct sightings of animals recorded in 2025, including elephant, wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, sable antelope, kudu and leopard.
Gilé National Park, in the north-east of Zambézia province in the districts of Gilé and Pebane, currently holds 68 mammal species and 228 bird species, the result of successive reintroductions carried out in 2012, 2013, 2018 and 2024.
Among the actions highlighted in the report is the monitoring of the 200 buffalo reintroduced in 2024 from the Marromeu national reserve, 700 kilometres to the south. Fitted with GPS collars, the animals covered more than 30 650 kilometres within the Gilé ecosystem over the course of a year.
In the fight against poaching, the 51 rangers in the park's anti-poaching department carried out 651 patrols during the year, seized 580 snares, dismantled 19 poachers' camps and made 25 arrests, according to the same document.
O relatório destaca ainda o impacto económico junto das comunidades vizinhas, com a comercialização de 461 toneladas de castanha de caju em 2025 e a produção de mais de 320 quilogramas de mel e 421 quilogramas de cogumelos frescos, actividades apoiadas pela Agência Francesa para o Desenvolvimento como alternativa à caça furtiva e ao corte ilegal de árvores.
The report also highlights the economic impact on neighbouring communities, with 461 tonnes of cashew nuts sold in 2025 and the production of more than 320 kilograms of honey and 421 kilograms of fresh mushrooms, activities supported by the French Development Agency as an alternative to poaching and illegal logging.
Gilé is part of a network of 17 conservation areas managed or supervised by ANAC in Mozambique, which together cover around 25 per cent of the national territory, according to the institution's own website.
Photo: PNAG
