The Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park

In August leaders of three African nations will officially open the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, joining South Africa's Kruger National Park, Mozambique's Limpopo Park and Zimbabwe's Gonarezhou National Park. The new park will cover approximately 35,000 square kilometres and is the first step in the creation of a transfrontier conservation area that will cover 100,000 sq. km.

The multi-million dollar project, funded by the World Bank and the German government, was touted as a model project for aid sponsored development in Africa at the recent G8 summit. Officials in the three countries are looking forward to increased tourism and planning promotions for the football World Cup that is to be held in South Africa in 2010.

The creation of the new reserve will bring changes to the area. Construction has already forced the move of two stately baobab trees, the larger of which weighed seven and a half tons. Animals will be transferred within the park to provide interest to tourists. Many people live within the borders of the new park (26,000 in Mozambique). They will no longer be able to hunt and farm as they have traditionally done. The government is relocating people to new homes, where schools and services will be better, but transplanting communities may prove to be more difficult than moving trees.

Links:

• Heads of State to Open Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park from allAfrica.com (story expired - only available through subscription)


• Tourism Staff Urged to Carry Out Plans And Promises from allAfrica.com (story expired - only available through subscription)


• Gigantic trees transplanted from News24, South Africa


• Villagers lose homes to wildlife park as aid funds miss their target from the Telegraph UK

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 4:31 PM on July 15, 2005

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