Gorongosa National Park
Wildlife & Animals
Mozambique Parks
Philip is a renowned Africa expert and author of many guidebooks to African destinations, including the Bradt guide to Mozambique.
Wildlife viewing in Gorongosa National Park is quite good, with four of the Big Five present (no rhino). Elephant numbers have recovered well after being depleted during the civil war, but buffalo are still scarce. Waterbuck and impala are numerous on the floodplains, and other antelope species you might see include greater kudu, nyala, bushbuck, reedbuck and oribi. In the camp area, you can watch warthogs digging around in the dust and naughty baboons are never far off either.
Wildlife Highlights
Gorongosa hosts a very effective conservation project for large carnivores. In recent years, lions have become increasingly habituated and visitors are often treated to quality sightings. Fourteen wild dogs were reintroduced in 2018, and today more than 100 individuals (split into three packs) roam the park. Seeing these charismatic predators hunting is an experience of a lifetime. Recent reintroductions of several leopards and spotted hyenas also help to fully restore Gorongosa’s ecosystem.
Best Time for Wildlife Viewing
The middle and end of the Dry season, from July to October, is the best time for wildlife viewing in Gorongosa. Wildlife is easier to spot at that time because vegetation is thinning out and animals gather around the lake and other permanent water sources.
