Extension of Maputo Special Reserve

The Mozambican authorities have begun the process of extending the Maputo Special Reserve in order to link it, via the Futi Corridor, to Tembe Elephant Park in South Africa.

To do so, the Mozambican Government will need to proclaim this extension of the Maputo Special Reserve as a national park. Once the expanded Maputo Special Reserve has been proclaimed and a fence has been erected on the western boundary, the electric fence on the northern boundary of the Tembe Elephant Park will be removed. This will allow the free movement of elephants between Tembe Elephant Park and the Maputo Special Reserve, thus re-uniting the unique east African coastal elephant population which had been fragmented by the electric fence.

Peace Parks Foundation is funding the restoration of the existing fence along the Maputo Special Reserve, as well as the erection of a new fence along the Futi corridor. The purpose of this fence is to reduce human/elephant conflict.

The boundary of the wildlife corridor and the fenceline were defined with the consensus of the local communities. Here the Mozambican TFCA Programme Manager for the Lubombo TFCA, Dr Jorge Chicue, is negotiating the extension of the Maputo Special Reserve all the way to the South African border with the local communities. The alignment of the first five kilometres has already been finalised.