Mozambique parks to draw thousands

Source: News 24 (SA)

Date: 20 December 2007

Author: Anon

Maputo - Gorongosa national park, located in the central Mozambican province of Sofala, is set to attract more than 500 000 tourists each year after massive refurbishment, state radio reported on Thursday.

Luis Covane, Mozambique government spokesperson told Radio Mozambique that the ministry of tourism and the USA-based Carr Foundation recently signed an agreement where the latter would rehabilitate the infrastructure of the park and train park staff.

In the first phase of the rehabilitation programme, the Carr Foundation would make available $1.2m per year over 20 years, which would be used for reconstruction and upgrading of facilities in the park.

After the rehabilitation of its tourism facilities - which were destroyed during Mozambique's 16 year civil war - the park would generate more than $75m each year in tourism earnings, said Covane.

Gorongosa National Park is approximately 3 770 square kilometres in area and is situated in the lower Pungue River catchment.

The park was set aside for hunting purposes in 1920 and visitors to the park steadily increased, reaching a pinnacle of 12 000 per year in 1971.

However, the following years were marked by increasing instability in the region, due to the war.

In December 1981, the park headquarters in Chitengo were attacked by Renamo.

In 1983, due to the increasing number of attacks, the park was abandoned and declared closed to visitors for safety reasons.

Between 1983 and 1992, the park was at the stage of some of the heaviest fighting between Frelimo and Renamo forces, who alternately occupied the Park.

It was during this period, that most of the killing of wildlife took place.

But recently, the park received transfers of wild animals, including hyenas and rhinos from South Africa and Zimbabwe. This was part of the campaign to boost the park's animal population.