Once the pride of Mozambique's prewar national parks, Gorongosa National Park has undergone a hugely ambitious and successful rehabilitation program that is ongoing. For travelers looking for an off-the-beaten-track escape with diverse game, rich birdlife and a real sense of untamed Africa, Gorongosa is the perfect destination, although it still lacks the large herds of game parks in neighboring countries.
The park is home to populations of oribi, reedbuck, waterbuck, warthog and sable as well as elephant herds. In Gorongosa's rivers and lake, there are good populations of hippo and crocodile, and on the floodplains zebra, impala, monkey and baboon can be found. Large herbivores such as buffalo, wildebeest and kudu are slowly being reintroduced to the park. Predators are recovering slowly, with a number of lion prides in the park.
Birding at Gorongosa is also very good, with special and endemic birds such as the collared palm thrush, the green coucal, narina trogon and spotted creeper.
Mount Gorongosa, the country's fourth-highest mountain (and one sacred in local lore), looms over the park to the northwest. It's a popular destination for birders and hikers.
Gorongosa National Park is 480 mi/775 km north of Maputo and boasts a lodge and tented camp.
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