7500 Animals Relocate to Mozambique
One of the biggest animal relocation operations, dubbed the ‘African Animal Ark’, has begun in Southern Africa.
The operation, which is being sponsored by the Peace Parks Foundation, aims to relocate 7500 animals from parks in Zimbabwe and Mozambique to the Zinave National Park in Mozambique over a period of three years.
The Peace Parks Foundation, a South African based foundation that works alongside conservationists, is on a mission to restore animal migration across certain areas of Africa.
The Zinave National Park had been struggling financially since the end of the first Mozambican civil war in 1992. The park has been almost completely devoid of wildlife since the second civil war broke out in the country in 2013.
Most of the animals being relocated will come from neighbouring Zimbabwe. The Savé Valley Conservancy, in southern Zimbabwe, will be donating 6000 animals, while the other 1500 will be sourced from Mozambique itself.
“This process is a beautiful and fulfilling task and nothing shows our ecological success more than our gift of over 6 000 animals to re-establish the Zinave National Park,” said German businessman and philanthropist, Wilfried Pabst, who is the owner of the Sango section of the conservancy.
The Savé Valley Conservancy has enjoyed great success in their ecological and animal conservancy efforts over the past few years.
Approximately 2000 animals will be transported from Savé Valley Conservancy to Zinave NAtional Park over the next eight to ten weeks.
The animals that will be relocating during this first journey include an estimated 50 elephants, 300 wildebeest, 900 impala, 200 zebra, 200 buffalo, 200 eland and 50 kudus.
Several conservationists, veterinarians and ecologists, as well as drivers and helicopter pilots, will assist in ensuring a successful relocation.
The Zinave National Park has said that they will train more park rangers to work at the park. They will also specially train them to act against poaching.
The cost for the entire relocation project is US$2.5 million.
With the relocation, the Peace Parks Foundation hopes to increase tourism in Mozambique and reintroduce animal migration routes between Mozambique, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
