Technology helps Mozambique’s Gorongosa National Park build human-wildlife coexistence

As first appeared in Faisca Jornal, in Mozambique, here. Written by Suizane Rafael.

March 27 2023

Rangers use GPS software and fences to reduce conflicts with animals and stop poachers in their tracks

The park is rich in biodiversity, with over one hundred thousand animals roaming within and outside its boundaries.

Image by Brianna R.

Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique’s Sofala province, introduced and operates the digitised system of park monitoring using Earth Ranger. It is a set of tools that allows the GNP conservation team to monitor wildlife, wildfires, livestock attacks and actions of poachers.

According to Mercia Angela, a veterinarian working at Gorongosa National Park, Earth Ranger helps to monitor the fauna in each of the main species that occur in this conservation area. It consists of placing a collar with a satellite tracker (GPS) to locate movements within and outside of the park.

The system is also used by the Park's Scientific Department for research. 

With the introduction of the system, according to Mércia Angela, patrolling improved a lot as well, helping mitigate the human-wildlife conflict, especially in the southern part of the GNP along the Pungwe River.

“With the signals emitted by the GPS placed on the animal, inspection teams can easily monitor the movements of each species. In case of any incident, the ground teams quickly move to the site. Sometimes we have situations where an animal stays in an area for a long time and we have to check what's going on with him. It also enables us to track poaching and wildfires in park boundaries, even the mining activities in the rivers. We were able to place a fence called GeoFence in the south zone where Elephants wreak havoc on fields in the Tampao area,” explains Mercia Angela.

Gorongosa National Park employs around 200 rangers. Rosa António is one ranger, who works in the control room, where all monitoring of the animals and even rangers on the ground takes place. 

António points out that in the area of ​​Coutada 12 (communal grazing area) is one of the places where there are many illicit activities. One of the most recent events took place on March 3 in Cheringoma District.

“Cases of poaching are decreasing, which can be attributed in part to reinforcement of legislation.  Wildlife crime attracts very strict prison sentences,  and in this way we also raise the awareness of communities. Most of those involved are Mozambican citizens, but we have some Zimbabweans and Malawians, too,” she added.

The last animal census carried out in 2022 points to the existence of more than 100 thousand animals: elephants, impalas, lions, buffalos, hyenas, jackals, zebras, leopards and  even wild dogs.

This article is reproduced here as part of the African Conservation Journalism Programme, funded in Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe by USAID’s VukaNow: Activity. Implemented by the international conservation organisation Space for Giants, it aims to expand the reach of conservation and environmental journalism in Africa, and bring more African voices into the international conservation debate. Written articles from the Mozambican and Angolan cohorts are translated from Portuguese. Broadcast stories remain in the original language.