Cross-border conservation has seen a series of successful wildlife translocations from Kruger National Park in South Africa to Zinave National Park in Mozambique. Lately, 27 Zebra and 62 blue wildebeest are welcome additions to more than 2 300 reintroduced animals now thriving under the restoration and management programmes being implemented in Zinave.
Since 2018, more than 700 animals have been translocated under a donation from South Africa’s Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) to the Ministry of Land and the Environment in Mozambique (MLE), as they work together, supported by Peace Parks Foundation, to restock and rebuild key parks within the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area.
‘The translocation of species from the Kruger National Park to the Zinave National Park in Mozambique is an important indication of how South Africa’s conservation success is contributing to the rewilding of Africa,’ said DFFE Minister Ms Barbara Creecy. ‘The success of ongoing cross-border collaborations is an outstanding example of how African countries are working together to solve conservation problems and grow the eco-tourism sector.’
SANParks says the restoration of Zinave National Park has been one of southern Africa’s most remarkable conservation success stories. Work to restore Zinave began in 2016 with the signing of a co-management agreement between Mozambique’s National Administration of Conservation Areas and Peace Parks. Through this partnership, significant investment has been redirected towards enhancing anti-poaching, infrastructure, tourism, and community development in the Park.
Today, thanks to wildlife donations from South Africa and Zimbabwe and restocking from other areas in Mozambique, Zinave now boasts 13 species including impala, reedbuck, waterbuck, buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, sable, and elephant. These reintroduced populations have more than doubled numbers in Zinave, now close to 6 000 animals. With herbivore populations growing, the first predator clan of four-spotted hyenas was reintroduced at the end of 2020 and have already produced their own offspring.
‘It is heartening to see how healthy populations of wildlife have stimulated the potential for increased tourism and related income opportunities in and around Zinave. The Park is set to become a major contributor to Mozambique’s eco-tourism economies. We highly value the cross-border partnerships that we have with our governmental partners in South Africa and with Peace Parks Foundation,’ said MLE Minister Ms Ivete Maibaze.
Kruger and Zinave National Parks respectively form the most western and eastern anchors of a vital cross-border wildlife corridor within the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area. Wildlife monitoring has identified various species, such as elephants, lions, and wild dogs, which are using this transfrontier migration route to access water, food, and breeding grounds. Ensuring healthy and protected ecosystems in these areas is not only significant to the parks, but to the well-being of the entire region.
Source: SANParks
Picture: Unsplash
