Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi announced on Saturday that, for the third consecutive year, no elephants have been poached in the Niassa National Reserve in the far north of the country, or in the Gorongosa National Park in the central province of Sofala.
Speaking in the Niassa Reserve, during celebrations of World Ranger Day, Nyusi attributed this success to the combined efforts of the forestry and wildlife rangers, the defence and security forces, the bodies of the administration of justice and the local communities, in the fight against environmental crimes.
“Mozambique will continue to transform itself into a natural reserve for elephants, and we shall extend our genuine love to all other animals – and, as a priority, to lions, which are now under great threat from poachers in Mozambique”, declared the President.
“Without these animals, we cease to be Mozambique”, he warned.
World Rangers Day is an opportunity to praise the role of the rangers in protecting and conserving biodiversity and paying tribute to those rangers who have lost their lives in the defence of wildlife.
On Saturday, three rangers, one from each region of the country (south, centre and north) were granted awards for their role in conservation.
It was also intended that Nyusi should personally place a new satellite monitoring collar on an elephant which, when the first collar was attached, in 2018, was given the name “Mr President”.
However, this elephant could not be found, leading to suspicions that it may have fallen victim to poachers. Nyusi had to put the collar on a second elephant.
