Bringing Back Apex Predators (5-minute Video)

The recovery of wildlife in Coutada 11 in the Zambezi Delta in Mozambique has been remarkable. The area forms part of the Marromeu National Complex, and for the past 20 years, wildlife censuses have been undertaken across the region.

Mark Haldane from Zambeze Delta Safaris (ZDS) has been a driving force behind the rehabilitation of the area. Once he felt the wildlife numbers had reached capacity, he realized they were missing one thing: the apex predators.

The leopard population was healthy, and nomadic lions passed through the area occasionally, but there were no resident prides.

ZDS teamed up with the Cabela Family Foundation to bring back lions into the area. Initially, 24 lions were brought in, and within six years, the number grew to around 100.

More recently, cheetahs were reintroduced, and things are looking good for the species' future, with several cub litters being born.