“We are here in Maputo National Park. It’s an amazing place to be. My classmates and I were able to see a huge variety of animals, so I would encourage everyone to come and experience this. It’s a fantastic new experience.”
This is the excited sentiment from Mariterry Santos, one of the students from UniTiva School in Maputo who are on their first trip to Maputo National Park. The group of teachers and students exchanged their classrooms for the park for a day and get to experience a game drive safari led by a knowledgeable field guide.
The students are treated to sightings of giraffe, impala, and zebra and learn about the tracks and clues of the bush. Their curiosity about nature and wildlife knows no bounds, and the guide happily answers their questions, fostering a deeper connection with the natural world.
Visitors to Maputo National Park have the chance to see a diversity of wildlife thanks to a dedicated rewilding initiative by Peace Parks Foundation in collaboration with Mozambique’s National Administration for Conservation Areas (ANAC) and funding support from Mozbio. Since 2010, nearly 5 000 animals from 11 species have been translocated to the park, and today it boasts a total population of over 12 000 terrestrial animals.
The 170 000-ha Maputo National Park, co-managed by ANAC and Peace Parks Foundation, falls within the Lubombo Transfrontier Conservation and Resource Area and includes more than 100 km of pristine coastline and an 18 nautical mile ocean protection zone. This terrestrial and marine haven gives visitors to the park the chance to see, in one day and within one protected area, not only the largest land-based mammal, the elephant, but also the largest oceanic mammal, the whale.
This world-class supernature makes for great game viewing and an enhanced visitor experience, and it is hoped to hugely boost eco-tourism here. In being able to thrive through tourism, Maputo National Park can better sustain both the livelihoods of communities and the ongoing protection of unique ecosystems. Amazingly, this park is one of the earth’s 36 most biologically rich and endangered ecoregions, worthy of worldwide support from nature-loving visitors.
Thanks to the support of Hansjörg Wyss and the Reinet Foundation, the park already boasts a vibrant tourism portfolio, from five-star accommodation to more affordable eco- and family-friendly chalets at Membene Lodge and; for more rugged travellers, 4×4 campsites await off the beaten track.
What animal would you like to see in Maputo National Park? Let us know in the comments below, and send your snaps and reels of your exciting visit to us at PeaceParks.TV!
