The rehabilitation of Gorongosa National Park in Central Mozambique represents one of the great conservation opportunities in the world today.

The 4,000 square kilometre Park is located at the southern end of the Great East African Rift Valley and as a result it is a region with high species diversity and environmental features found nowhere else in the sub-continent. Seasonal flooding and waterlogging of the valley, which is composed of a mosaic of different soil types, creates a variety of distinct ecosystems and the grasslands are dotted with patches of acacia trees, savannah, dry forest on sand and seasonally rain-filled pans and termite hill thickets.

This combination of unique features at one time supported some of the densest wildlife populations in all of Africa, including charismatic carnivores, herbivores and over 500 bird species but sadly large mammal numbers were reduced by as much as 95% and ecosystems stressed during Mozambique's many years of civil war between 1981 - 1994.

In 2004 the Government of Mozambique and the US-based Carr Foundation agreed to work together to rebuild the park's infrastructure, restore its wildlife populations and spur local economic development - opening an important new chapter in the park's history. Between 2004 and 2007 the Carr Foundation invested more than $10 million in this effort and during that time the restoration project team completed a 60 square kilometre (23 square miles) wildlife sanctuary and reintroduced buffalo and wildebeest into the ecosystem.

Due to the success of this initial three-year project, the Government of Mozambique and the Carr Foundation announced in 2008 that they had signed a 20-year agreement to restore and co-manage the Park and now it is home to an intriguing diversity of animals, birds and plants - some of which are found nowhere else in the world.

With more and more species being reintroduced on a monthly basis Gorongosa is starting to boast an impressive species list and it is home to significant populations of oribi, reedbuck, waterbuck, warthog and herds of up to 120 head of sable.

Predators are recovering slowly, with a number of lion prides and a few male coalitions within the Park and Elephant herds (and loan bulls) are regularly encountered. Leopard do occur in small numbers and in the rivers and lake there are good populations of hippo and crocodile. Nocturnal species include serval, civet, genet, both bushbaby species and porcupine.

Guests visiting Gorongosa can take guided game and birding walks, night drives, and play an exclusive part in the park's visionary Restoration Project.