The Niassa Lion Project (NLP) resumed its conservation activities in the Niassa Special Reserve (REN) on Sunday, June 15, after being forced to suspend operations due to a terrorist attack in April that resulted in the deaths of four staff members and the destruction of infrastructure in the Kambako hunting block.
According to information shared by NLP on its official page, fieldwork resumed with seven vehicles, prioritizing the restoration of the Mariri Environmental Center. The organization acknowledges that full recovery of the facilities will take time but emphasizes that the presence of wildlife is an “encouraging” sign to continue the mission.
“We are back at square one and, when we entered with seven vehicles, we saw elands, impalas, elephants, buffaloes, lions, and hyenas. Wildlife has substantially recovered since our last presence, in partnership with Mbamba and the Niassa Special Reserve,” the statement reads. The April attack, attributed to the same group of Islamic extremists active in several districts of Cabo Delgado, targeted the Kambako hunting block, one of the largest operators in the country. During the raid, the attackers reportedly took an unspecified number of hostages.
The Niassa Special Reserve, which spans the provinces of Niassa and Cabo Delgado, comprises six hunting blocks managed by private concessionaires, with Kambako being one of the largest. The area remains vulnerable to illegal activities such as poaching, now exacerbated by armed violence. Despite the human and material losses, the Niassa Lion Project has vowed to continue its work monitoring and protecting wildlife, reaffirming its commitment to conserving one of Mozambique’s most important biodiversity zones.
NLP is funded by a network of international partners, foundations, zoos, and individual donors. Investments from the Gemfields Foundation alone amount to at least USD 150,000 (9.6 million meticais) over three years, with an additional USD 75,000 (4.8 million meticais) donation for enhanced conservation and community support.
The Lion Recovery Fund contributed at least USD 55,000 (3.5 million meticais) toward patrol operations in the reserve. The project also mobilizes individual donations, where USD 60 (3,800 meticais) funds children’s visits to the Mariri Environmental Center, USD 2,400 (153,000 meticais) covers an annual ranger salary, and USD 4,000 (256,000 meticais) enables the purchase of lion tracking collars.
All these funds support carnivore monitoring, anti-poaching efforts, environmental education, and the generation of sustainable income for communities living in and around the Niassa Special Reserve.
Source: Mozambican News Agency (AIM)
