An American millionaire signed a 20-year agreement to recover Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique. The Mozambican civil war had eliminated 95% of the park's large animals, leaving it devastated. Two decades later and with tens of millions of dollars invested, the park now has more than 100,000 large mammals, representing an impressive recovery.
What was once considered a devastated land became a case study on whether money and sufficient vision can return abundance to a damaged ecosystem. The transformation of Gorongosa demonstrates that it is possible to reverse the destructive effects of armed conflict in a protected area.
The first survey planes that flew over the park after the civil war found a landscape that appeared intact. In reality, it was almost empty of wildlife, with the animal count revealing the extent of the damage caused by the conflict.
