Quicama (Kissama) National
Park, Angola
View images of this project >>>
 In
the late 1990’s after 25 years of tragic civil war, Angola
was in great need of assistance to rebuild its economy,
social welfare and its abounding wild and beautiful areas.
The WILD Foundation was the first international conservation
organization to take action – helping re-establish Quicama (Kissama)
National Park. This first, post-civil war national park and
eco-tourism destination paved the way for other parks and
the involvement of numerous other international
organizations.
WILD involvement with the
Kissama Foundation the organization that oversees the park and
other conservation efforts in Angola, ranges from capacity
building to paying park staff. The one million hectares (2.5
million acres) National Park has immense potential for
ecotourism, community involvement, environmental education
and bio-diversity conservation. Park Warden Roland Goetz,
with WILD and other organizations, is working diligently to
ensure this potential is realized.
 In
2001 a collaborative team of conservation organizations and
wildlife managers re-located 36 elephants and other wildlife
to Quicama from over-populated areas in South Africa and
Botswana. These animals helped to build the prospering
wildlife community that now inhabits the park.
Read more about this amazing re-location
effort >>>
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Angola
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Botswana
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Chad
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India
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Mali
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Namibia
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South Africa
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Uganda
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New Projects
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Training
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Rehabilitating Angola’s National
Parks….a beginning
(excerpt from a Field Report by Dr Wouter van Hoven,
2001)
WE JUST MOVED 17 ELEPHANTS (TWO FAMILY GROUPS) and
15 eland from South Africa to Angola. Operation
Noah's Ark has finally begun. But I am ahead of
myself...
Civil War - a scourge of Africa -- has plagued
Angola for 25 years. The war caused great suffering
to civilians and the poor, plus ravaged wildlife:
for ivory to arm and feed armies; landmines; and, of
course, bush meat for the poorest.
However, stability has returned enough so that the
flagship and popular Quicama (kee-SAAM-a) National
Park, just an hour south of the capital Luanda, was
set for renewal. Through my graduate students and
other researchers at the Center for Wildlife
Management at the University of Pretoria, we
conducted a four year ecological study. The study
recommended large scale re-introduction of wildlife
into this stunning 5 million acre park. Now devoid
of wildlife, it used to teem with up to 4000
elephants, 5000 forest buffalo and many other
species. We secured private sector funding from
international oil companies, The WILD Foundation,
and others, to: re-train members of the local
communities serve as game guards; build fences; pay
local staff; and get started.
 Elephants
were our first choice because elsewhere in Southern
Africa elephant over-population has led wildlife
managers to choose culling as a means to regulate
numbers….therefore translocation is a sensible and
humane solution. After detailed planning a group of
elephants donated by the North -West Parks Board of
South Africa was airlifted to the Quicama Park in
Angola. This was the first ever airlift of a
complete family unit of elephants. The oldest female
was 25 years old and the youngest was a calf of two
months. The elephants were darted, loaded, revived,
flown overnight, and released into their new home
before the day became warm.
We are monitoring them, and they have adapted well
to their new habitat. Much work lies ahead, but we
made a good start! |
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