In the ruinous 15-year civil war that followed the independence of Mozambique in 1975, the Gorongosa National Park served as a refuge for the right-wing RENAMO, or Resistência Nacional Moçambicana, rebel forces who received military support from neighboring Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and South Africa. When government troops came to challenge them, there was fighting on the ground, rocket shelling of the park headquarters, carnage across the savanna. In addition to the elephant slaughter, thousands of zebras and other big animals were killed for food or trigger-happy amusement. A cease-fire halted the war in 1992, but poaching by professional hunters continued, and people in surrounding communities set traps for whatever edible animals remained. By the turn of the century, Gorongosa National Park had been wrecked. But nature is resilient, and with a little help from humans, the Gorongosa is experiencing a surprising rebound that has seen elephant, waterbuck, buffalo, and hippo populations soar once more. One of the biggest reasons the Gorongosa is thriving again is thanks to the Carr Foundation, a philanthropic entity that is helping local people in the Gorongosa area find work that supports the surrounding environment and their own livelihood. To get the full scoop on how one of Africa’s great parks is rebounding from war, check out this story from National Geographic.
Mozambique’s Gorongosa National Park is thriving once more after years of war
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