Aug 26, 2024 |
Gilé National Park (PNG), located in Zambézia province, has received 48 of the 200 buffalo being translocated from Marromeu National Reserve in Sofala province. This is the largest buffalo translocation ever carried out in Mozambique and took months to plan.
The transfer of the 200 buffalo, which is taking place throughout August, is being carried out by the National Administration of Conservation Areas (ANAC), in coordination with technical assistance partner Fondation François Sommer (FFS - IGF) and the European Union, through the PROMOVE Biodiversity Programme, managed by the Foundation for the Conservation of Biodiversity (BIOFUND).
The park is currently home to an estimated population of 150 buffalo. This large-scale translocation aims to increase genetic diversity and strengthen the buffalo population in the region, contributing to the park's conservation and biodiversity.
The arrival of the animals was accompanied by the Secretary of State for Zambézia, Cristina Mafumo, who expressed the hope that the arrival of the buffalo would attract tourists to PNG and to the province in general: ‘this is a great challenge for Gilé National Park, given the objectives we are aiming to achieve, which is to boost tourism in our province. We're going to welcome our tourists to come and see the animals, thus contributing to our economic development process, but also raising the name of our province through our tourists.’
The Director General of ANAC, Pejul Calenga, destacou que pointed out that ‘this is a process that is part of the rehabilitation programme at the level of the national network of ecosystem conservation areas. For the specific case of Gilé National Park, ANAC started in 2012 where we had the opportunity to translocate some buffalo, zebras and ox horses and due to the constraints we had in the context of COVID-19 and Cyclones we had to slow down this translocation process and at the moment we want to ensure that the 200 buffalo can reproduce and increase their population and restore the ecosystems and ecological functions by bringing back the animals that at some point already lived here in Gilé National Park.’
Pejul Calenga added that ANAC wants to go further: ‘As you know, Gilé National Park once had rhinoceros and we also want in the distant future and I believe that we will create these conditions to restore and place here the coveted “Big fives”, that is, buffalo, leopard, lion, elephant and rhinoceros. Our aim is to create a set of attractions that can appeal to our investors so that we have opportunities to generate income and, based on this, also create some capacity on the part of the communities to be able to take full advantage of this wildlife economy value chain. We have a Mulela coutada project around our Gilé National Park and we believe that this translocation of animals will create the conditions for a flow of animals that will once again populate the Mulela coutada.’
According to Alexandra Jorge, Director of Programmes at Biofund, ‘this is a very important translocation for us, it's the first time that BIOFUND has been involved in a translocation. This is a large-scale translocation, it's part of a project called Promote Biodiversity, funded by the European Union and also by other partners, IGF, AFD, everyone has been collaborating. We're working closely with ANAC, the National Administration of Conservation Areas, and of course with the Park, not just Gilé but also Marromeu.’
Gilé National Park currently has several large species such as elephants, buffalo and various species of birds, reptiles and amphibians in its savannahs, miombo woodlands and riverside vegetation. Its location, close to the beaches of Pebane and Moebase, Gurué and the island of Mozambique, makes it an ideal destination for those seeking contact with nature. The park also has attractions such as hot springs and Mount Pope, as well as offering accommodation at the Lice tourist camp on the banks of the Lice River.
The park is managed in collaboration between the Government of Mozambique, through the National Administration of Conservation Areas (ANAC), and the Fondation François Sommer (FFS - IGF), a non-profit organisation. Previously classified as a National Reserve, Gilé National Park was re-categorised in 2020 to comply with the country's new conservation laws, consolidating its importance in Mozambique's protected areas landscape.
Photos: PNG/ANAC
