Wildlife In Mozambique

Traditionally a country with abundant wildlife, the animal population of Mozambique was hugely diminished during the civil war as relative anarchy gave free reign to poachers.

 

Between 1988 and 1990 the Zambezi Delta's elephant population fell from 1,500 animals to just 300, and in approximately 20 years before 1990 the buffalo population fell by 90% to 4,000. In the last ten years other animal species have experienced declines of between 80 and 90% and some have been hunted to extinction.

 

It remains to be seen as to whether Mozambique's large mammal population can recover from the slaughter of the last few decades. Game reintroduction programmes, transfrontier parks and a focus on game reserves as an earner of foreign currency are part of the efforts being made to restore Mozambique's animals.

 

The areas in which large herds of game are happily rumoured to exist in the far north of Mozambique are almost inaccessible, while the conservation lands set aside for visitors are almost depleted of wildlife.

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