Gorongosa: the burden of elephants
A long dirt road above the park. A corridor in which the thick vegetation gives way to our car. A gate, y un ranger, finally, we are in the Gorongosa National Park.
Interestingly, the oblivion that somehow covers the entire display Mozambique also reflected in their natural. The country you save that image as we have Lisbon Spanish, punctuated by a decline that highlights their strengths more. The Portuguese motherland left here part of his soul soaked up in abandoned houses of colonial times and became home to lions. Then came the horror, war, and there was no room for life in the Park more wildlife density across Africa had.
Gorongosa is a myth for African nature lovers. The old Eden has five years of hard work to restore the splendor of the bellows to its long plain
Gorongosa is a myth for African nature lovers. The old Eden has five years of hard work to restore the splendor of the bellows to its long plain. Not a park, is a special park, almost no tourists and a different landscape. Stated another way, is a park with a unique personality among dozens of protected areas that I have seen in these parts. We camped in Chitengo. The park has not yet opened its doors for the rainy season inundates roads but our status as journalists gives us a special permit. I go looking for the story a few days ago I heard on a spectacular National Geographic documentary that has made this site: "Elephants are born without tusks by the memory of the massacres they suffered in the war time in which to sell their ivory wiped out and buy guns". It is true that from the beginning of the conflict that occurred in Mozambique between Frelimo and Renamo armies of the old Eden became ruthless battlefield. There were more than 2.200 elephants in the park and when the war ended there were only 70. Actually, around the park had been put to the sword by men. The strange, unexplained genetic mutation would be that the elephants would have changed their own genetic disgusted to see that their ivory was synonymous with death.
The visit to the park was special to make it with people who have memories in the bush. Ana Paula had been in this park as a child and remembered the house known as the Lions. This is a series of bungalows that were built by the great plain of Gorongosa and were abandoned when the Lions took. The director of communication of the park, Basque Galante, teaches us videos of you see the cats up the stairs of which became his home. Today is just an abandoned concrete block overlooking the great plain with disdain. The picture is beautiful if you understand that behind that wall there was much life and we, Daniel and I, we are fortunate to have someone get into their memories vein.
Kick-off, open their ears and raise their horns in warning. Incredible scenes succeed
Then, in the afternoon, after a morning in which we crossed with a multitude of wildlife, small gaps, foreshortened trees and birds that come from the sky, we went in search of the mythical elephant Gorongosa. After almost two hours, he turned a huge herd of nearly 50 copies. We found that the legend was true fear still is the man. The elephants do not cease to threaten to charge into our vehicle. Kick-off, open their ears and raise their horns in warning. Incredible scenes succeed , but there is a sublime moment occurs where. The whole herd creates a perfect circle to protect their young. As if obeying a military order adopting a perfect figure of defense. It is one of the most beautiful moments I have lived in African safaris. Everything has a wild harmony, everything is happening before our eyes turned into cameras.
With that shot of adrenaline return to our camp, in the end we spent three nights, and watched a sunset in the clouds that departed between light and night. Then, the next morning we met one of the most fascinating types that I have encountered: Peter Muagura, the man who has planted a hundred million trees, the man who trains cats to kill cobras.
Comments (7)
Cristina
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Impressive.
Congratulations Javier, you made me move, although it was particularly sad…I did not know the history…Please get a little closer to Africa, to the beautiful but cruel Africa.
Congratulations on your work.
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Lilian
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Sr agradesco. Javier especially photos of birds, must be especially sensitive tenr to go to Africa to photograph birds
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Javier Brandoli
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Thank you very much to both (Cristina and Lilian). The story is sad, the park nice and optimistic future.
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This odd story of the man who planted 100 million trees | On Monday
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[…] The World, Travel to the Past, […]
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The African adventure
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Unique and interesting story as always, Xavier. This summer we will be there, by Mozambique. Do we recommend a visit or if you have little time could be more interesting to know the beaches and set aside Bzaruto Gorongosa? Note that we will come to have met the Okavango Delta, Chobe y el Zambeze. What do you think?
The story of the elephants without tusks left me cold. Greetings
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Veronica
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Thanks. Great article.
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The travel magazine with stories VaP. Route (In): the beauty of the Gorongosa » The travel magazine with History
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[…] between trees. We approached carefully and saw to our right. Maybe it's the legend of his fangs, but these elephants have something special. One feels that invades their quiet, you're not this […]
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