Buffalos Restock Limpopo Park
MAPUTO- A herd of 50 buffalos has been imported into Mozambique's Limpopo National Park, as part of an ambitious restocking programme, reports Thursday's issue of the Maputo daily "Noticias".
About 3,000 animals of various species have been imported by the park, so far, mostly from South Africa. This is around half of the 6,000 targeted by the programme, that started in 2002.
Gilberto Vicente, of the park management, said that the buffaloes were brought into the country after going through all veterinary procedures to ensure that they are not suffering from any disease.
All the animals are being monitored, and "if there is evidence that any animal is affected by any disease it will be either slaughtered or put in quarantine", he said.
He said that the veterinary authorities will be monitoring the herds to ensure that they will not spread any diseases in the about 35,000 hectares of the park.
Vicente explained that bringing in buffaloes is a pilot experience, to try and ensure ecological balance. Buffaloes play an important role in the food chain, he said, because they eat high grass, and open up areas for other herbivores to graze.
The Mozambican Conservation and Veterinary Committee, has expressed satisfaction with the strict observation of the restocking regulations, and hopes that this will be consolidated and extended to the so called "ecological corridors", that were opened with the removal of the border fence between Mozambique and South Africa.
The Limpopo National Park is part of the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Park, which also includes South Africa's Kruger Park, and the Gonorezhou park in Zimbabwe.
Read more about the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Park here.
About 3,000 animals of various species have been imported by the park, so far, mostly from South Africa. This is around half of the 6,000 targeted by the programme, that started in 2002.
Gilberto Vicente, of the park management, said that the buffaloes were brought into the country after going through all veterinary procedures to ensure that they are not suffering from any disease.
All the animals are being monitored, and "if there is evidence that any animal is affected by any disease it will be either slaughtered or put in quarantine", he said.
He said that the veterinary authorities will be monitoring the herds to ensure that they will not spread any diseases in the about 35,000 hectares of the park.
Vicente explained that bringing in buffaloes is a pilot experience, to try and ensure ecological balance. Buffaloes play an important role in the food chain, he said, because they eat high grass, and open up areas for other herbivores to graze.
The Mozambican Conservation and Veterinary Committee, has expressed satisfaction with the strict observation of the restocking regulations, and hopes that this will be consolidated and extended to the so called "ecological corridors", that were opened with the removal of the border fence between Mozambique and South Africa.
The Limpopo National Park is part of the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Park, which also includes South Africa's Kruger Park, and the Gonorezhou park in Zimbabwe.
Read more about the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Park here.
Labels: buffalos, game relocation, mozambique
posted by Kruger2Canyons.com at
Thursday, September 16, 2004
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