South Africa a pioneer in restocking Africa with wildlife

Shoulder to shoulder, African countries are working together to solve wildlife conservation problems and to grow the ecotourism sector by rewilding Africa. South Africa is pioneering the way forward.

In a recent victory for cross-border conservation, a series of successful wildlife translocations saw 27 zebra and 62 blue wildebeest safely making their way from the Kruger National Park in South Africa to Zinave National Park in Mozambique.

It took a journey of more than 1 250km, supported by the Peace Parks Foundation, and was part of a larger ongoing effort to restock and rebuild key parks within the great Limpopo trans-frontier conservation area.

According to South African minister of environmental affairs, Barbara Creecy, the translocation of species between the parks is an important indication of how South Africa’s conservation success is contributing to the rewilding of Africa.

“The success of ongoing cross-border collaborations is an outstanding example of how African countries are working together to solve conservation problems and grow the ecotourism sector,” Creecy says.

SA’s wildlife promise to Africa

The new arrivals of the zebra’s and blue wildebeest, her department says, are welcome additions to the more than 2 300 reintroduced animals that are already thriving in Zinave.

This is being done under restoration and management programmes implemented in Zinave.

Since 2018, more than 700 animals have been translocated thanks to a donation from South Africa’s department of forestry, fisheries and the environment to the ministry of land and the environment in Mozambique.

This, following South Africa’s pledge to donate animals to Mozambique in a bid to create new ecosystems and restoring old national parks which have been depleted of wildlife.

“We are fortunate to have almost an over-abundance of animals in South Africa. It’s almost seen like a little bit of a reservoir for the rest of Africa,” says Lourens de Lange, operations coordinator of veterinary wildlife services at South African National Parks.

The Kruger National Park alone is well positioned to support the restoration of decimated protected areas in neighbouring Southern African countries. It has more than 147 mammal species thriving in abundant numbers as a result of many years of expert conservation management and protection strategies.

Building a prosperous future

Thanks to wildlife donations from South Africa and Zimbabwe and through restocking from other areas in Mozambique, Zinave now boasts 13 species: impalas, reedbucks, waterbucks, buffalos, zebras, wildebeest, giraffes, sables and elephants.

Thriving in their safe and plentiful habitat, these reintroduced populations have more than doubled in numbers to close to 6 000 animals, the department points out.

“It is heartening to see how healthy populations of wildlife have stimulated the potential for increased tourism and related income opportunities in and around Zinave,” says Ivete Maibaze, minister of land and the environment in Mozambique.

Zinave is set to become a major contributor to Mozambique’s ecotourism economy. And according to the minister they value the cross-border partnerships with South Africa and the Peace Parks Foundation. “It is a wonderful example of how regional partnerships can contribute to building a more prosperous future for Southern Africa and its people.”

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