Across continents, the decline of wildlife in protected areas has become a bellwether of ecological stress and a warning for humanity. The Convention on Biological Diversity, the United Nations' SDG 15 (Life on Land), and international calls for "30 by 30" (protecting 30 % of Earth by 2030) converge on the need not merely to conserve but to restore. Countries recovering from conflict or climate shocks often find their parks emptied, not by design, but by neglect, poaching, degradation, or displacement. The act of renewal, reintroducing species, rebuilding ecosystems, and re-empowering local custodianship, becomes a deliberate battle for resilience, climate adaptation, and social equity.

Mozambique's Banhine National Park represents a vivid case: a place once full of promise, silenced by decades of destruction, and now poised for a resurgence. Its story is not insular; it echoes in other landscapes from Cambodia's Phnom Prich to Brazil's Cerrado, where restoration is as much a policy choice as a biological mission.

Deep in Mozambique's southern province of Gaza lies Banhine National Park, encompassing roughly 7,256 km². Once renowned for seasonal floodplains, marshes, and a full complement of big fauna, it was dubbed a "Little Serengeti" in prior decades. But war, chronic underinvestment, drought cycles, and rampant poaching hollowed it out.

Mozambique's civil conflict (1977-1992) already disrupted park management, but the decades since have seen repeated droughts and poorly funded protection. Without functioning wildlife corridors and law enforcement, few large animals survived. The scale of emptiness in Banhine meant that restoring it cannot simply be a matter of letting nature heal; it must be a deliberate rewilding.

In recent decades, Mozambique lost an estimated 90 % of its large wildlife populations across many reserves. In the early 2000s, Banhine's antelope and zebra herds were almost entirely wiped out, and elephants migrated to safer habitats in neighbouring regions. Climate extremes compounded this decline, with prolonged dry seasons and erratic flooding cycles making the park's wetlands increasingly fragile.

In 2025, Mozambique launched a bold rewilding operation in Banhine. Nearly 400 animals were translocated into the park from other reserves such as Maputo National Park and elsewhere, including species like zebra, wildebeest, and antelope. The goal is to increase the number to about 1,100 animals in the coming seasons.

To support their survival, a 6,000-hectare fenced sanctuary was created within Banhine to protect the new arrivals during their acclimatisation phase. The government allocated about USD 350,000 (roughly 22.1 million Mozambican meticais) for infrastructure: fencing, water points, dams, wells and monitoring systems.

This initiative forms part of Mozambique's wider National Parks Revitalisation Strategy, which includes the restoration of Limpopo, Zinave and Gorongosa National Parks. Between 2022 and 2025, more than 8,000 wild animals have been successfully reintroduced across the country through partnerships with the Peace Parks Foundation and the National Administration for Conservation Areas (ANAC).

These efforts recognise a central truth: rewilding is not passive. Animals need safe zones, water, food, and protection as populations recover and re-establish ecological balance. The sanctuary approach helps mitigate immediate poaching or predation threats while the external zones are rehabilitated.

Revival of wildlife in Banhine is not merely about animals, but about restoring ecological functions. Large mammals control vegetation, seed dispersal, nutrient cycling, and they maintain the mosaic of grassland, scrub and woodland. Their presence stabilises hydrology, especially in seasonal floodplains, and enhances resilience to drought.

Furthermore, restored habitats can buffer climate shocks. Healthy ecosystems sequester carbon in soils and biomass; they reduce erosion and improve water infiltration. In areas like Gaza province, which face an increasing frequency of drought and erratic rainfall under climate change, resilient park systems can act as landscapes of adaptation.

From a human perspective, revitalised wildlife can anchor eco-tourism, promote regional identity, and provide alternative income streams for communities that suffer from agricultural risk. But the social dimension must be central: for local people to become guardians, they must perceive benefit, not exclusion.

Mozambique's tourism ministry estimates that wildlife-based tourism could contribute up to 10 % of national GDP by 2030, provided park infrastructure and security are strengthened. Banhine's revival could therefore transform it from a forgotten expanse into a sustainable economic and ecological engine for the southern region.

Even the most ambitious plans face headwinds. First, governance: Mozambique's National Administration for Conservation Areas (ANAC) must coordinate with ministries, law enforcement, and regional governments to ensure continuity and accountability. Without a strong institutional capacity, poaching could rebound.

Second, funding: USD 350,000 is a start, but long-term monitoring, anti-poaching patrols, veterinary capacity, and community engagement require sustained resources. Conservation models elsewhere indicate that park budgets often run millions annually once full restoration begins. The African Development Bank and the Global Environment Facility have both expressed willingness to scale up conservation financing in Mozambique, but implementation remains slow.

Third, social licence: Communities living near or inside park peripheries may resent relocation, lose access to grazing lands, or bear the burden of human-wildlife conflict (crop damage or livestock predation). Unless inclusive benefit-sharing schemes, compensation, and participatory governance exist, hostility may undermine success.

The Banhine restoration effort is embedded in several key global and continental frameworks. Mozambique is party to the Convention on Biological Diversity and has committed to post-2020 biodiversity targets, including species recovery and ecosystem restoration.

In continental terms, Africa's Agenda 2063 calls for resilient ecosystems, while transfrontier conservation frameworks like the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area aim to knit borders into the ecological fabric. Rewilding Banhine advances these goals, making Mozambique a case study for aligning national policy with global environmental commitments.

The initiative also contributes to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which emphasises restoring at least 30 % of degraded ecosystems by 2030. Through this alignment, Banhine's revival is not an isolated effort; it is part of a global movement to reverse biodiversity loss and re-establish ecological balance within one generation.

Reviving a silent park into a place of life demands patience, vigilance, and legitimacy. The path ahead must include expanding safe habitat beyond the fenced core, connecting Banhine to ecological networks, strengthening anti-poaching capacity, and investing meaningfully in community partnerships. Scientific monitoring will be essential: tracking survival rates, reproduction, genetic diversity, movement patterns, and ecosystem responses.

The Rebirth Of Banhine: Inside Mozambique's Bold Wildlife Restoration Mission - African Leadership Magazine